#painted maple

Plant of the Day – Sassafras tzumu, Chinese Sassafras

One of our most loved eastern North American trees is the sassafras (Sassafras albidum).  Much less well known is its Chinese counterpart, Sassafras tzumu.  Growing across much of southern China, it makes a tall tree to over 100′ tall in open woodlands and forest edges.  In cultivation it typically is more of a medium sized tree, growing to 35′-60′ in 20 years.  When grown in the open, it has a…

There are a handful of maples that garner most of the gardening world’s attention – Japanese maples (Acer palmatum), red & sugar (A. rubrum, A. saccharum), Norway (A. platanoides) and a smattering of others.  While these are all excellent garden plants and you would be hard-pressed to find many maples that aren’t beautiful, it seems that the painted maple (Acer pictum) often is over-looked.

A…