We are getting our sales yard ready for spring.  When we open up the hoop houses, it's always amazing to see the colors and textures of all the different conifers.  This year we also have some specimen trees dug for sale.  When you come out for a visit, be sure to bring boots or shoes that can get dirty.  We still have a lot of mud!

 

 

Japanese maples offer a great range of colors from spring to fall, and the tree silhouettes and bark add winter interest. The cut-leaf forms, often listed as Acer palmatum var. dissectum, have finely lobed leaves with a delicate look. Both red and green leafed cultivars are available, with the green ones giving a more spectacular fall color display. Japanese maples of all kinds are also a favorite for bonsai.

Most cut-leaf Japanese maples have a weeping form, their branches creating a cascading mound. Among the red-leafed cultivars, some of the most popular are 'Tamukeyama', 'Crimson Queen',  'Garnet' and 'Inaba Shidare'.  'Red Dragon' is a slower-growing form, perfect for rock gardens and other small spaces.  The leaves of many red cut-leaf maples emerge a bright scarlet or cherry red before deepening to their summer colors. They turn different shades of red, from burgundy and garnet to deep red and purple-red, and in the fall many turn a brilliant crimson hue.

  

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Red Dragon'

   

'Waterfall', 'Spring Delight' and 'Pink Lace' are favorites with green leaves.  It is fascinating to watch Japanese maples leaf out in the spring, with the colors changing as the leaves unfurl, exposing green leaves with delicate pink, mauve or crimson fringes. Some cultivars like 'Spring Delight' often retain the reddish margin into the summer. 'Orangeola' leaves emerge orange and change to green for the summer.   'Seiryu' is a more upright tree with green leaves. The lovely Acer japonicum 'Green Cascade' is a Fullmoon maple with dissected green leaves and a mounding habit. 'Green Cascade' maples did remarkably well for us during last summer's drought.  Stunning fall colors on the green cut-leaf maples range from yellow to orange to red.    

  

The placement of a Japanese maple in the garden is crucial to its success. Plant Japanese maples where they get morning sun and filtered light in the afternoon. Give them shelter from winter winds, so avoid placing them along western exposures. Also provide them with protection from winter sun. Site them in a location with good drainage, because they need regular watering but do not like to sit in standing water.  Most importantly, plant a Japanese maple where you can enjoy its changing beauty year-round.