Acer/Japanese Maple ID

lauriegilbert85

Hi there, everyone, 

I’m new to the forum but just hoping for some help in identifying two acers. The first couple of pictures are of a little pinkish-red acer that my mom has had in her garden for a couple of years with no label. I think it’s either a Beni Maiko, a Beni Kosode or a Shin-deshojo. I’m hoping it’s a Beni Kosode or a Shin-deshojo so I can add it to my collection that I have started in my garden, as I already have a Beni Maiko and with limited space, I don’t want to end up with two of the same thing. 

But then comes my next question. My acer was labelled by the nursery as a Beni Maiko but after looking at pictures of Maiko trees online, mine just seems like too pale a pink to be a Maiko and the lobes of the leaves too fine. Online the Maikos look a much deeper pink, on a par with my mom’s acer in the first pictures. The third picture is a picture of my supposed ‘Beni Maiko’.  I know online pictures can be colour enhanced or nurseries can mislabel things, which makes identification hard. I’d love some advice from anyone who has got a more experienced eye than myself to confirm what they both are. 

Many thanks in advance

Laurie

lauriegilbert85

Just for additional info, the pictures of both acers are taken as of now, very end of May. My mom’s acer is holding it’s deep pink colour so far with no hint of shifting to green as of yet, which points to the Beni Kosode characteristic. My acer which was labelled as a Beni Maiko is now shifting to green through the pale pink, which does hold with the characteristic of a Maiko, it’s just the colour that seems completely wrong from what I’ve seen online. 

paulloconnor

The second one is probably "Peaches and cream" the first one is difficult without seeing a full cycle of leaf colour and side shot showing habit.