Simon-Louis frères

Character & interest

This cultivar puts on a striking spring display thanks to its pink budbreak, then keeps lasting presence through its “speckled/splashed” variegation, which is different from a margin-type variegation. It is perfect as an accent tree, placed in front of a dark background or near a walkway.

Colours

• Spring : young leaves pink (often salmon-toned), very luminous.

• Summer : green mottled with white/cream (irregular variegation).

• Autumn : yellow (sometimes with a more bronze phase depending on conditions).

Habit & vigour

Upright at first, then broad, forming a small to medium-sized tree for a sycamore maple. Growth is rather slow to moderate: it stays well-proportioned for a long time and is easier to place than a typical sycamore in a medium to large garden.

Indicative size

Observed orders of magnitude depending on sources and training:

• often around 10 to 15 m at maturity,

• spread generally 6 to 10 m (broad crown) depending on space and training,

• variegation may slightly reduce vigor compared with the green type.

Exposure

Gentle sun / bright partial shade. Good light enhances the variegation, but a position sheltered from harsh afternoon sun (on dry soil) helps reduce the risk of scorch on the pale areas.

Origin & history

‘Simon-Louis Frères’ was bred and introduced by Simon-Louis Frères nurseries (France) and is generally dated to 1881. The name is also found without accents or with slight typographic variations (‘Simon Louis Freres’, ‘Simon-Louis Freres’). It is often described as a sycamore maple with a more contained stature than the typical species, with pink budbreak and then green-and-white variegation through the season.