Tree ID

[Hill-Billy]

Hi Guys. Here's a tree ID question for you: I was pruning an Acer today but couldn't identify the sub species. The closest ID I could manage was a Cut-Leaved Silver Maple - using my fab Collins Tree Guide. The tree in question was a lovely 25ft specimen in a small residential front garden and the neighbour has continually complained about any/all overhanging branches. I advised the tree owner/customer that the tree was inappropriate for its location as it would grow to 40/50 ft in time. Of course I could really only guess at how big it might become. 'Stog/epi' evidence proves that this isn't its first pruning either! I didn't have my camera with me but took these two leaves from the same tree home:001_smile:

[kentjames]

I reckon its Liquidambar orientalis - google it and you'll see where i'm coming from

[Jesse]

I reckon its Liquidambar orientalis - google it and you'll see where i'm coming from

 

I see what your saying about Liquidamber , but staying with the Acers it looks like Acer miyabei to me.

[Hill-Billy]

Both good guesses guys. It isn't fair of me to post a pic of only the leaves! I'll stick with Silver Maple for now though. It seems strange that it has two different leaf shapes - the red one is a juvenille leaf?

[woodyguy]

Different leaf to Liquidamber and most similar to Acer Sacharrinum but I only grow the type species so difficult to be sure.

[Hill-Billy]

Yeh, Acer Sacharrinum is the closest I can get. However the Collins Tree Guide describes silver leaves changing to yellow, red brown in the autumn. So how come it has mostly green leaves in October? Unless it is a variant.

[woodyguy]

Autumn is late. Mine are totally green still.

[Hill-Billy]

Autumn is late. Mine are totally green still.

 

Is it? Maybe not relevant, but our Virginia Creeper is very red this year which I put down to the long hot summer!

[woodyguy]

Very few of the acers have coloured up, beech is still green and only Quercus Coccinea has any colour on it. When I was a kid most of the leaves were off by mid-October, so yes feels late to me.

[Hill-Billy]

Still, back to the main reason for posting this thread....today's customer has a front garden tree (inherited not planted herself) that has the potential to reach 30m!