My family in 2009, loving our beautiful tree!
After our Japanese Maple gained its leaves and my parents fell in love with the tree for its beautiful color and its low branches, which were perfect for young children to climb, the tree in our front yard has become an integral part of our family. Its winding branches and leaves that cover the inside completely made it a perfect fort for my siblings and I to hide in when we were younger. As we grew out of the tree, our young next door neighbors began climbing in it and now an entire neighborhood has experienced the beauty, strength and joy of our tree. It is an amazing tree that defined my childhood and we seek to protect it, especially from last year's harsh winter (see video below).
My father risking life during a snowstorm this year to protect our tree!
Japanese Maples originate from Japan, and the first mention of them in Japan is from the 7th century! Eventually, the first specimen made its way to England in 1820, and then to America in 1860 when George Hall, an American living in Yokohama, Japan, sent back seeds for Japanese Maples. Unfortunately, the Japanese Maples suffered a setback during World War II, as an estimated 300 species were lost due to over-harvesting and garden clearing for resources during the war.
This year, my family was concerned because our beautiful Japanese Maple did not lose its leaves in November like the last 13 years where we have watched its leaves gracefully fall to the ground. Although we were initially concerned that our tree was dying, my family did research and found that our tree did not lose its leaves because the cold came too quickly.
The science behind our Japanese Maple keeping its leaves is that the quick cold interrupted our tree's biochemical pathways that prepared the tree for the winter. Specifically, our tree, like other deciduous trees, form a layer of cells between the leaves and the branches called an abscission zone when they are planning to shed their leaves. This zone seals the branch off from the leaf and allows for very little water loss when the leaf is shed. This process is caused when the tree releases auxin and ethylene, two plant hormones that cause leaves to shed. The release of auxin and ethylene begin the biochemical pathway, which must have been interrupted this year.
The scientific name for our specific Japanese Maple is Acer palmatum var. dissectum. Japanese Maples grow in full sun to partial shade and grow their leaves during the spring and lose them in November. They grow in temperate forests in the Northeastern United States.
Japanese Maple leaves up close!
Japanese Maples originate from Japan, and the first mention of them in Japan is from the 7th century! Eventually, the first specimen made its way to England in 1820, and then to America in 1860 when George Hall, an American living in Yokohama, Japan, sent back seeds for Japanese Maples. Unfortunately, the Japanese Maples suffered a setback during World War II, as an estimated 300 species were lost due to over-harvesting and garden clearing for resources during the war.
The science behind our Japanese Maple keeping its leaves is that the quick cold interrupted our tree's biochemical pathways that prepared the tree for the winter. Specifically, our tree, like other deciduous trees, form a layer of cells between the leaves and the branches called an abscission zone when they are planning to shed their leaves. This zone seals the branch off from the leaf and allows for very little water loss when the leaf is shed. This process is caused when the tree releases auxin and ethylene, two plant hormones that cause leaves to shed. The release of auxin and ethylene begin the biochemical pathway, which must have been interrupted this year.
After learning all of these fascinating biological happenings in our tree, it continues to amaze us after 13 years! Now, go out and buy yourself a Japanese Maple, it will live up to your every expectation!
Me with my Japanese Maple in 2018!
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