When Arboretum founding director Charles Sprague Sargent first noticed this red maple, it wasn’t clear whether the tree’s early-turning leaves were an indication of genetic differences or simply a reaction to the environment. Eventually, it was determined that the tree is genetically distinct from other red maples. It was given the epithet ‘Schlesingeri’ after the owner of the property of the original tree: Barthold Schlesinger.
Keeper of the Living Collections Michael Dosmann told the full story of the trees’ naming and subsequent misidentification in a 2009 article for Arboretum magazine Arnoldia.