Hi- Thanks for your response, gardengal. It looks as if I might have bought what I thought it was. I was wondering because, in addition to the difference in name, the label said the leaves become dark green in summer. However, Wayside Gardens sells the shirasawanum Aureum and they say the leaves will become dark green in summer while the Sunset Western Garden Book says it holds it's yellow-green spring leaves all summer. Anyway, summer will tell the tale. I was expecting yellow-green summer leaves when I bought the tree.

Thanks Jacqout and Muckmire, I checked out Vertrees from the library yesterday (they only had the 2nd ed., though) and found a photo, but it's just of the leaves. It's hard to find pictures of this tree. I've only seen the leaves! Found the tree at WorldPlants. Seems like a good price. I have to decide what I'm getting. I am considering several Maples--palmatums (less hardy, it seems, so maybe won't get) and japonicums. It has to be something small and hardy and not too bush-like. Christina

Thanks Kvolk - i'm going to check out that St. Mary's Broom you mentioned. Anybody have suggestions (online) where they've bought from? Or good links to info/picture on it? I could probably post this or look at the conifer forum too, but thought i'd write it anyways. I have very clayish soil too....enough to have to have a septic mound system at least. If you have any pics of your own trees, I'd love to see. I was thinking of getting the triflorum, griseum and that mandshurican (sp?) next spring. Anybody have any favorite places (online) they get these from? Or have had best luck with? Our winters haven't been extremely cold here either...no -20s at least. I was going to put some chicken wire around some of the more zone 5 iffy JMs or ones that i know the rabbits and other animals can get to. I just don't know if i should put some shielding on the west and north sides of the chicken wire enclosure for the trees...to shield from winter winds?? Not sure if that's worth the trouble. My trees are all on the north and east side of my house too. Last year, I wrapped all the JMs in this wire and then wrapped that wire enclosure with some polystyrene flexible layer and left top open...lot of work. And then even the Coral Barks had major dieback - they had the black bark thing happening. So i cut them back to about 10 inches off ground and they came back really nicely, but now it's almost winter and i don't know if i want to baby the Sango kakus every winter and then see them die back 2 feet every year. (I had planted these sango kakus last October - late). Maybe they weren't established enough and that's the reason for dieback or maybe the enclosure i made just was too much...and then they got that dark br/black bark and dieback?? Not sure. I have a couple more JMs this year compared to last...got a little crazy this summer. But anyways, i really only want to put the chick wire fence around the JM's and not try to insulate or shield them...you think i can get away with that? One more question...does anybody know if there's a really big difference between the acer griseum cinnamon paperbark and the girard's hybrid...personal experience with that? I don't know which one to get. NEWgars - is your girard's hybrid and griseum planted in pretty protected locations? And anybody have pictures of their triflorum, griseum and mandshurican?

Scorching is a concern. It'll be in the sun from about 11am till 4pm in zone 6a. Another one I'm really considering would be Acer Palmatum 'SHIN DESHOJO'. I've been looking at the pics and really like the pink new grownth and it fades to green. This maple will be going in a bed with 2 red maples. So I was looking for something that has a bright spring flush since the backdrop will be a darker color. Then it would have to fade to green so it will still stand out during the summer months.