Acer Davidii Options Explained
100+cm: Usually 5 Litre pot, 2-3 years old.
125-150cm: Usually 5 Litre pot, 2-3 years old.
150-200cm : Usually 2-3 years old and will be 150-200cm tall depending on weather and time of year purchased. Pruned to be Half Standard.
180-240cm: Usually 2-3 years old and will be 200-250cm tall depending on weather and time of year purchased. Pruned to be Half Standard.
Acer Davidii Snakebark Maple Tree AKA Pere Davids Maple,
One of the best Snakebark Maple trees because of the outstanding bark characteristics. Initially appearing red then matures to green with green cracks or fissures.
Large leaves (around 18 x 9cm) may be suitable for plays about Adam and Eve although we suggest you schedule for late Summer to get the largest leaves and prevent any blushes. A mid-green colour that turns to bright yellow, orange and pink in the Autumn.
The small yellow Spring flowers have been described as delicate by those in the know and these turn into winged fruits which will support wildlife.
Colour interest is retained throughout the Winter with young twigs being a dark purple to red colour.
A slightly taller than wide tree so expect mature heights and widths to be around 15 x 10 metres.
Planting Acer Davidii Snakebark Maple
Plant in full sun or partial shade position in fertile and well-draining soil in a location that doesn't get below minus 15 degrees centigrade and is sheltered. Acer Davidii Snakebark Maple will tolerate most soil conditions to include sand, clay, loam and chalk. If you have particularly heavy clay soil then consider mixing well-rotted manure or compost into the excavated soil. A ratio of 50:50 will be ideal.
Remove any competing weeds and other plants within 100cm of your Acer Davidii Snakebark Maple planting spot. Dig a hole as deep as your pot but break up the bottom 5-10 cm to allow the roots to spread a little easier. The purists will tell you to make the hole square to reduce the chances of the roots spiralling round, this is your choice. Make the hole wider than the pot, this is to follow the same principle as breaking up the bottom. Try and plant so the top of the rootball soil is level with the garden soil as you need to avoid bark that was previously exposed to air being buried. If you go too deep, you can always make the top slightly "dished" by having the outer edges higher than the middle.
Water well after planting, at least 20 litres spread around the whole root system. If planting in Summer, especially long hot ones, regular watering will be important. If the soil is dry for the top 10cm or so, it will be time to water.
Keeping nearby weeds down for the first few seasons will help the young Acer Davidii Snakebark Maple and this can be achieved with manual removal, mulching, decorative stones, agricultural matting or glyphosate (weed killer).
Pruning Acer Davidii Snakebark Maple
Major pruning for this tree should be done between October and December and very light pruning in June. The seasoned gardener may think the dormant period is November to March and start hacking away but the sap starts to rise early in Winter hence the specific pruning time frame.
The issue from pruning outside these times is that sap levels are high and bleeding can be an issue. It is always best to prune when you are expecting a few days of dry weather as this aids in the pruning cut healing and reducing the ingress of infection. You should always cut out dead, diseased or crossed over branches in either of the time frames listed.
If you are going to remove a large branch, it is best to do this in stages. This is because you do not want the branch to be cut almost all the way through and for it to then fall and tear bark off the tree. Removing smaller chunks will reduce the risk of this happening. On the final stage, make your first cut from underneath, this also reduces the risk of bark tearing away.
Somewhere Between Dull And Useful Information About Acer Davidii Snakebark Maple
Native to China
Discovered by French Priest Armand David
FAQ Questions About Acer Davidii Snakebark Maple
(Q) Will this tree make a good present for someone?
(A) Yes, especially if you have a friend called David, Acer or Tree, and they like snakes.
(Q) Will this add value to my house.
(A) Absolutely, when the sun goes Super Nova, the shade will be extremely valuable.
Tree Jargon Explained
Half Standard: Around 80-100cm clear stem.
Standard: Around 180-200cm clear stem.
Feathered: Branches for most of the trunk/stem length.
Multi-Stem/Bush: Very little or no clear stem. Multiple branching starting low to the ground.
Rootball: Dug from the field with roots intact i.e. no pot.
Pot: Plastic container that the tree was grown in.
Maiden: 1 year tree that has not been pruned.
Pleached: Foliage a square/rectangle flat shape wired to a bamboo frame with some clear stem.
Screen: Same as pleached but much less/no clear stem.
Multiple Order Discount
Orders over £750 for 150cm+ trees might be discounted by contacting us
Ornamental Tree Roots In The Shade e.g. Behind A Fence
It is more important that that foliage (posh term for leaves) receives the sunlight than the roots. So if the canopy of your ornamental tree can sunbathe but the bottom of your tree thinks there has been a nuclear winter then that is ok. You might want to ensure you have good drainage as water and no sun is the start of algae and other such issues.
Early Autumn Leaf Fall
Heat stress, being potted, lack of water, being boxed up for a few days etc can cause early Autumn leaf fall. Once planted, normal service will resume next season.
Do I Need To Stake My Ornamental Tree?
9 out of 10 times the answer will be no, especially if under 200cm tall. However our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Climate Change
Climate Change has increased aesthetic foliage issues such as Powdery Mildew, Shothole, Rust, frost damage etc These are not terminal issues and will usually last a season or less. All trees are inspected before being sent out to ensure they are fundamentally healthy and will bounce back.
