if you could have only 1 (Floating Cloud, Orangeola, Baldsmith)?

17 years ago

We are looking for one more plant - a Japanese maple - for our patio. It will be in a container and get morning light or filtered light all summer (but never full hot afternoon sun).

I have found, in local nurseries, 3 varieties that each look wonderful but alas, can't buy all 3. I was hoping that people more experienced than I can comment on these three possibilities. Here are the 3 varieties and a little more about each:

a) Floating Cloud (the one I found is already between 4 and 5 feet tall and looks very healthy. It has some pnk in the leaves even though it's in a shaded area of the nursery. It's selling for $150, and I'd also have to buy a very large pot for it, so this would probably be the most expensive total package.

b) Orangeola (also a nice, full size but it's not so big at the bottom that I'd need a super large pot right away.. I love what I read about the spring and fall color. Right now it's red and green and just a bit sun-burned at the leaf tips (it's kept in full sun at the nursery). Would it color up in our filtered light patio?

c) Baldsmith. I found a big, full one at one nursery for $170 but also found a younger one for $60 that is still staked and has a nice curved-but-ultimately straight and healthy trunk.

I'd appreciate any comments on all or any of these 3 varieties.

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Comments (5)

mjh1676
17 years ago
Ukigumo (Floating Clouds) is the nicest and most interesting of the bunch. You will get the most seasonal interest with that maple throughout the year.

Orangeola is a nice dissetum but I don't feel it is of specimen quality where I would want to display it in a container or make it the last maple I was going to buy. It makes a great landscape plant and is great for sunny locations.

Baldsmith is a beauty in the spring, but fades as the months wear on. It usually becomes unremarkably green in the summer and will have some reddish new growth, but not enough to write home about.

If you wanted the disseted form and wanted to stay on a budget, go for the small Baldsmith. The best tree overall is the Ukigumo if you want a more upright plant or tree type and it will outshine the Baldsmith in the spring for color anyway.

Hope that helps. I am gald you have such nice choices locally. That helps a great deal.

Cheers!
MJH
Embothrium
17 years ago
Another vote for 'Ukigumo'.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
17 years ago
I guess it depends what you're looking for. The form and habit of the Ukigumo is significantly different than the other two, as is the coloring. And it tends to be a more delicate and fussier plant, really only looking good in quite a lot of shade. Fall color is not exciting.

My choice would be the Baldsmith, but then I am not wild about Ukigumo and think most look rather anemic and not very robust. Clones of Baldsmith I have seen locally display considerable variation in folige color and maintain a well defined two-toned affect (reddish green with a red edge and red new growth) throughout our typically cooler summers. Great fall color, as well. One of the best of the dissectums available, IMO. I'm considering a Baldsmith myself, if I could figure out where to plant one. Not sure I could even fit another containerized maple into my jungle :-)

Orangeola I would rate as a distant third.
myersphcf
17 years ago
I think any of these would be fine ..I personally like the oarangeola mine is stupendous ..but it does leaf burn a bit whereas the baldi seems to have less burn. I am curious why you want such a BIG ( at least I assume it is for those prices) for a container ( for planting out thats another story) ... it would seem you are gonna be causing yourself alot of trouble finding a suitable pot, planting it and regularly repotting it...sounds like alot of extra work to me ...So I would probably go for the 60$ baldi or look for something a bit smaller ...but then I tend to TRY to do stuff that WON'T cause me alot of extra work ..;>) David
margi1533
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for all your reesponses! I'm leaning toward the Floating Cloud myself, especially because, in all the nurseries I've gone to to look around, I've only found that one, and it's big and very healthy looking, whereas I've seen several of each of the other kinds so at a later date, I could probably pick up, say, a small Baldsmith.

Needing shade will not be a problem, I think, because our patio is covered by a translucent plastic roof so it only gets ambient light, never direct sun (except in the morning in summer). Our other shade lovers there, including potted ferns, are doing great.

BTW - this tree will be a 25th anniversary present from my husband so he told me to get something I really like (even though he and our sons really are not wild about "pink trees")! We already have a Shaina, so it's not like we'll be missing all fall color...

if you could have only 1 (Floating Cloud, Orangeola, Baldsmith)?

Comments (5)

mjh1676

Embothrium

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if you could have only 1 (Floating Cloud, Orangeola, Baldsmith)?

Comments (5)

mjh1676

Embothrium

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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

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margi1533
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