In Your Garden with Jenny Watts

Lovely Japanese Maples

Japanese maples are beautiful in every season, from the new growth emerging in spring,
to the wonderful leaf textures through the summer, to the bright fall colors and nally the artistic
arrangement of their bare branches in winter.
While most small trees are grown for their eeting owers, Japanese maples are grown
for the beauty of their leaves that come in a great variety of shapes and colors. For hundreds of
years, the feudal lords of Japan bred and selected trees to nd ever more beautiful specimens.
Today there are hundreds of cultivars of both Japanese and Western origin.
The leaves of the most familiar cultivars look like stars because they are divided into ve
to seven sharply pointed lobes. Their botanical name, Acer palmatum, reects this: palmatum,
means shaped like the palm of the hand. On some trees, the lobes are further divided giving the
leaves a lovely feathery or lacy appearance. These are dissectum varieties, meaning they have
lacy leaves.
Leaf colors range from yellow-green to dark green, and from bright red to deep blood
red. There are also trees with variegated leaves that are green outlined with white or gold. Red-
leaved trees are the most prized. In an otherwise green landscape, a red Japanese maple makes a
stunning accent.
Japanese maples are divided into groups based on the shape of their leaves. But generally
speaking, they grow either as trees or shrubs.
'Bloodgood' is a vigorous lawn tree with deep, dark red leaves that hold their color well.
It grows to 15 feet tall and wide, turns bright red in the fall, and is a dependable, sturdy tree.
'Sango kaku' is a popular tree for its bright coral red bark in the winter, pale yellow-green
leaves in spring and apricot and gold fall color. It can grow to 20 feet in the landscape or be kept
at 8 feet in a container.
Many of the smaller mounding types have finely dissected leaves. Typically they grow to
6-8 feet in the landscape, or 4-6 feet in a container. 'Garnet' is a beautiful, cascading, mound-
shaped specimen with a rich red-orange color that develops best with some sun. 'Inaba shidare' is
an upright grower, yet it has a beautiful cascading form. The deep purple-red leaves retain their
color better than others in the hot summer months. Fall color is a brilliant crimson red.
'Tamukeyama' has a lovely weeping habit and deep purplish-red leaves that hold their color
all summer. It does well in hot situations. 'Viridis' has green, finely dissected leaves that will burn
in hot sun. The golden fall leaves are touched with crimson.
Japanese maples thrive in moist but well-drained, slightly acid soil in sun or part shade.
The red-leaved cultivars need ample sunlight to develop their best color. Shade from afternoon
sun and protection from drying winds will keep the leaves looking their best. Occasional
watering, once a week in dry periods, and a light fertilizing in the spring will keep them healthy
and beautiful.
Good under oaks, as background for ferns and azaleas, or as a small tree for patios and
entryways, Japanese maples are beautiful landscape trees.