Description
Latin Name: Acer tegmentosum
DESCRIPTION
Family: Aceraceae
Native Range: Northeast China
Seed Source: Selected trees from a seed collection expedition to Northeast China
Height and Spread: 10m x 5m (25 years)
Overview: The 'Yusen' seed strain was collected during a seed expedition to the Maoershan region of Heilongjiang Province of China in 1991. The selected trees were growing in a mountainous region near the North Korean border with China. This is a hardy seed strain, typically multi-stemmed, and reaches a mature height of 8-10 meters. The distinctive characteristic which sets them apart from other maples is their smooth, bright-green bark with blue-green to white stripes of varying widths forming a pattern reminiscent of a snake’s skin. The strain is named after the Chinese professor, Zhang Yusen, who guided the 1991 seed collection expedition to Northeast China.
Fruits: A samara consisting of two oval carpels lined at the base and each terminating in a broad membranous wing.
Average number of seeds/packet: 100
SEED TREATMENT / SOWING
Stratification: Stratify in moist sand at 5°C for 120 days
Ideal sowing time: Spring (stratified seed) or fall (non-stratified)
Sowing instructions: Sow 2 cm deep, 50 seeds/meter; Greenhouse - sow 3 seeds per cell.
Growing conditions: Best growth on medium-textured soils with soil pH 7.0 to 8.0. Fertilization is not required.
AGROFORESTRY VALUE
'Yusen' Manchurian snakebark maple is best used in landscape settings, it is not well-suited for shelterbelts or exposed sites.
