Envy of Another Life
This is not the famous Peter Lik tree, even though that one is not truly his tree. That tree has been photographed by many before and after it became know by that name. We would say artists like Peter Lik and Aaron Reed both have a hand in making that tree famous and we do wish to have our own version of “their” tree, in the Portland Japanese Friendship Garden one day, but we found this gem in the Washington Park Arboretum UW Botanic Gardens
About The Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum is a deciduous shrub or small tree reaching heights of 6 to 10 m (20 to 33 ft), rarely 16 metres (52 ft), often growing as an understory plant in shady woodlands. It may have multiple trunks joining close to the ground. In habit, its canopy often takes on a dome-like form, especially when mature. The leaves are 4–12 cm (11⁄2–4 3⁄4 in) long and wide, palmately lobed with five, seven, or nine acutely pointed lobes. The flowers are produced in small cymes, the individual flowers with five red or purple sepals and five whitish petals. The fruit is a pair of winged samaras, each samara 2–3 cm (3⁄4–11⁄4 in) long with a 6–8 mm (1⁄4–5⁄16 in) seed. The seeds of Acer palmatum and similar species require stratification in order to germinate.
Even in nature, Acer palmatum displays considerable genetic variation, with seedlings from the same parent tree typically showing differences in such traits as leaf size, shape, and color. Overall form of the tree can vary from upright to weeping.
