Autumn colours in spring

Stan Kengai

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If it is just interior leaves, they are being shaded out and going through senescence just like in autumn.

Best to thin the exterior leaves to let light into the inner leaves and future buds.
 

Smoke

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Most of my tridents all have red leaves this time of year. This is normal and new leaves have not started producing chlorophyll yet. Most of my tridents are pruned daily so I always have new leaves forming. If you have no green leaves then thats trouble.DSC_0080.JPG DSC_0081.JPG DSC_0082.JPG DSC_0086.JPG DSC_0087.JPG DSC_0088.JPG
 

Stan Kengai

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That's interesting. I have 3 different varieties: a small leaf selection from Warren Hill, Evergreens rough bark and one from Brussels. None of them have red new leaves. The Warren Hill has deep purple, Evergreen has slight purple and Brussells lime green.

I wonder if it is a cultural, climactic, or genetic difference.
 
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Mine are not new leaves. Are old leaves on inner buds that never made their way out. The outer leaves are green and much larger. New leaves also have a red tint to them but hey quickly turn green. I haven't prune anything cause these are still in thickening trunk phase. I'm not worried but I found curious. First time with tridents
 

Smoke

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That's interesting. I have 3 different varieties: a small leaf selection from Warren Hill, Evergreens rough bark and one from Brussels. None of them have red new leaves. The Warren Hill has deep purple, Evergreen has slight purple and Brussells lime green.

I wonder if it is a cultural, climactic, or genetic difference.

There are not very many varieties of trident here in the states. In Formosa or Taiwan, there are many. Probably those you mention are just geographical or climatic differences of plain ole Trifidium.

I too have the purple variety and it is indistinguishable from the others. I know where they came from and the cuttings they were struck from and they are all the same. Why some are purple and some come out red is interesting. You can see that once out in the sun, they turn a rich green color.

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Smoke

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Here is the field I dug them from.

Edit: the tree at the bottom right of the picture next to my tools and the roots showing is the tree at the end of this post.
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All the maples are planted from the same cuttings struck from the same tree in his yard. Not seed. I have dug about 7 trees from this field. All over 3 inches across. Here is the same tree with the purple leaves about three years ago, same purple leaves as the one above. It is the same tree.
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Here is another trident dug from the same place with cuttings off the same tree. Why there is so much variation is beyond me.
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rockm

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New leaves are red because of sun exposure. Leave your trident in direct sun for more than four hours all spring and summer and new growth is read (as it is on most deciduous trees left in full sun).

The red pigment acts as a sunscreen to protect the leaf as it matures and starts producing chlorophyll. It is the same red pigment (anthocyanin) that produces red fall color in the leaf.

http://northernwoodlands.org/articl...n_spring_sometimes_appear_more_red_than_green
 

miker

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There are not very many varieties of trident here in the states. In Formosa or Taiwan, there are many. Probably those you mention are just geographical or climatic differences of plain ole Trifidium.

I too have the purple variety and it is indistinguishable from the others. I know where they came from and the cuttings they were struck from and they are all the same. Why some are purple and some come out red is interesting. You can see that once out in the sun, they turn a rich green color.

View attachment 149002 View attachment 149003 View attachment 149004 View attachment 149005

That confirms it. My nice one is also the purple variety. I also have a sapling of Brent's rough bark and four seedlings from the seed of a landscape trident maple in a local park. Finally, I also have a Formosan trident maple, which is morphologically way different than my others and has rough bark characteristic.
 
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