Arboricultural Portmanteau Moniker

Surprising anomaly.

Walking the trail around my newest favorite lake I was confused by the sight of this early-leafing branch springing out of a tangle alongside the path. It looked very much like a familiar silver maple – except that it’s not silver but orangy-purple, and maples turn colors in the fall, not in May. I was stumped.  But then the plant finder on my phone identified it as a Japanese maple and I was stumped again. Minnesota, in zone 4, is not a happy place for Japanese maple which needs warmer zones to survive.

A little more research uncovered an interesting story about a landscaper named Craig Frick who was gobsmacked to stumble across a huge, mature Japanese maple thriving in an Eden Prairie back yard. The tree had quietly survived the region’s brutal climate for decades. He took cuttings, and partnering with Monrovia Nursery, they cloned and tested them for years across various microclimates until they were able to ensure stable cold-hardiness.

"Crimson hands uncurl in spring, Catching summer's golden light. Scarlet stars fall from your arms, Into winter's quiet night."

Anonymous

Although the aberrant mother tree has since died, to honor its origin Frick and Monrovia combined the velvety texture of the purple-hued leaves with a nod to Minnesota's professional football team and “Velvet Viking” became the first-of-its-kind Japanese Maple hardy to Zone 4 (-30).

They had more fun with naming, and the cultivar, officially named “Monfrick” (combining Monrovia and Frick) is now enjoyed by Minnesota homeowners, Zen gardeners, and random trail walkers every day. Thanks guys.