Super Dragon Maple Heat Tolerance and Color

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing Acer truncatum maple tree varieties lack heat tolerance and often burn in direct sunlight, with limited color variation and smaller size compared to the newly discovered Acer truncatum 'Super Dragon' variety.

Innovation Solution

The Acer truncatum 'Super Dragon' variety exhibits consistent yellow-green leaf color, striking red-orange and yellow-pink coloration variations, and tolerance to direct summer sun and drought conditions, characterized by deeply cut lobes and elongate central lobes, making it suitable for full sun and drought-tolerant environments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Illumination intensity

If yellow-leaf maple cultivars are grown in direct summer sunlight, then they exhibit vibrant coloration, but they easily burn and suffer heat damage

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedirect summer sunlight toleranceVSAvoidleaf burning and heat damage

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent describes a maple cultivar with altered physiological parameters that enable heat and sunlight tolerance. The tree exhibits dark green foliage that maintains chlorophyll integrity under high illumination, contrasting with typical yellow-leaf maples that lack this tolerance. This represents a parameter change in the plant's photosynthetic system that allows it to withstand direct summer sun without burning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Area of stationary object

If Acer truncatum maple trees are grown to typical mature size, then they provide adequate shade, but they become too large for certain landscaping applications

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveshade coverage areaVSAvoidtree height and spread

Core Design Contradiction:

Area of stationary objectVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent describes a maple cultivar with modified growth parameters that result in a smaller mature size. The tree maintains adequate ornamental value and shade provision at a reduced scale, making it suitable for urban and confined landscaping spaces where full-sized Acer truncatum would be inappropriate.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

3Illumination intensity

If maple trees with yellow-green foliage are grown in hot climates, then they provide ornamental value, but they lack heat tolerance and suffer from summer stress

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveyellow-green foliage colorationVSAvoidheat tolerance and summer survival

Core Design Contradiction:

Illumination intensityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The patent describes a maple cultivar with altered physiological parameters that enable heat and sunlight tolerance. The tree exhibits dark green foliage that maintains chlorophyll integrity under high illumination, contrasting with typical yellow-leaf maples that lack this tolerance. This represents a parameter change in the plant's photosynthetic system that allows it to withstand direct summer sun without burning.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

Data Source

PatentUSPP26414P3Maple tree (<i>Acer truncatum</i>)named ‘Super Dragon’

Publication Date: 2016.02.16 JOHANSSON KEITH G

AI summary

A novel variety of the maple tree Acer truncatum was discovered in North Texas. It has a smaller mature size than typical Shantung maple mature size, and its leaves have an unusually deep cut between lobes, extending about two-thirds (⅔) of the distance from tip to base, with a distinctively elongate and narrow (almost thread-like) unfurling central lobe that widens as it matures. It exhibits consistent yellow-green leaf color throughout the spring, summer and fall, developing striking red-orange and yellow-pink coloration variations in the fall. Its coloration contrasts sharply to its lighter yellow-green veins which appear almost white and enhanced as the leaf darkens somewhat during summer. The variety known as ‘Super Dragon’ also is extremely tolerant to direct summer sun and drought conditions.