Many years ago whilst working in West Sussex, the Lady garden owner had this magnificent very old tree outside her house. It was growing on a south facing slope, in a chalk and stone soil, Its spring leaves and autumn\fall colour were stunning, but its incredible red and pink bark was stunning in the winter. The public you to stop and stare at it in awe especially if their was a bit of snow on the ground. To the visitors disbelief when they asked what it was, it was an Acer! I have always loved them and it took me years to get one. Yesterday my ones leaves started to come out, it is of course the Coral Bark Maple,
Acer palmatum 'Senkaki'. This remarkable shrub\tree starts with the new growth being a Coral pink in the winter and spring, the leaves are yellow to orange in the spring, then turn green and finally in the autumn\fall go to a pink then to a yellow. All this from the spring to the autumn\fall. The new growth that was pink turns a deeper red, and the new bark is Coral pink. What more could you want, may I ask? My one was quite small when I got it and it is now doing well, it and my
Acer griseum look magnificent in the garden. The paperbark is grown alone as the bark is the most special feature, but the Coral Bark has pride of place amongst my wife's collection of Acer's. I have four Acer's in the garden apart from the other mentioned ones I have;
Acer davidii and a lovely
Acer davidii 'Rosalie'. They are all spectacular and mixed or on their own give me all year round pleasure! My wife has untold Acer's in her Acer glade and keeps adding to them, when I am not looking.
Regards.
Neil.
