‘Japanese Laceleaf Maple’ Specimen Named Most Outstanding Plant By SNA

This year's panel of judges chose the Iseli tree among approximately 600 other plant displays at the show. The judges based their decision on a number of factors including uniqueness, adaptability to the southern region, consumer friendliness and disease resistance, as well as use of promotional literature.

"Our winning Japanese Maple is a very fine example of the species," said Jock Demme, sales manager for Iseli Nursery. "It's an old and exceptionally well grown plant with a dense, cascading shape and beautiful purple-red color held well through the summer."

The 'Japanese Laceleaf Maple' is a Zone 5 plant that is well adapted to most temperate and southern regions of the Southern U.S. Rarely growing over 10 feet tall, it is well suited for any landscape. Japanese Maples have lacy leaves that vary in color from shades of green and yellow to red and deep purple. The best or most unusual of these have been named and are propagated by cuttings or grafting to maintain the special characteristics desired.

The Most Outstanding Plant Specimen award is granted every year at the World's Showcase of Horticulture as part of its booth display awards program. All winners are honored with a ribbon and award announcement in the Southern Nursery Association's newsletter.

Representing more than 45 percent of horticultural production in the U.S., The World's Showcase of Horticulture attracts more than 10,000 horticultural and landscaping professionals each year from several countries and features approximately 1,300 booth displays from 800 exhibiting companies.

Iseli Nursery, a subsidiary of International Garden Products Inc., grows and supplies dwarf conifers, Japanese maples, specialty broadleaf shrubs and garden trees. International Garden Products grows and supplies ornamental and horticultural specialty products, which are distributed to garden centers, related retailers and commercial users throughout the U.S. and Europe. Other International Garden Products companies include Skagit Gardens, Weeks Roses, Langeveld Bulb, Thompson & Morgan, Vandenburg Bulb, Little Valley Nursery, Ridge Manor Nurseries and Briggs Nursery.

For more information about the Southern Nursery Association's World's Showcase of Horticulture Expo visit www.sna.org/tradeshow/index.html.