In mid-October the air gets crisp, and suddenly each yard along the street transform into a painting. That’s when Japanese maples shine brightest. Not just colorful, but igniting: That’s the visual breakdown, above, of thirteen specific cultivars. Each provides its own spin on the season’s fiery fare.
Think of them as a quirky family with wildly differing personalities, some architectural, some quiet; others bold, even downright loud. To decide what kind of drama you want in your landscape, you must first know where to start. Leaf shape is typically the first big decision. Do you want palmate (those classic broad-leaves, all little hands)? Or do you want laceleaf, the more delicately cut, feathery ones sometimes called dissectums?
How to Choose and Care for Your Japanese Maple Tree
The answer make an enormous difference in way the tree appears in your landscape, that’s why it’s so clear on the chart. The palmates feel grounded and solid; the laceleaf floaty and airy. That airiness reads beautifully if your landscape has lots of mass, such as a wide fence or maybe a big, blocky foundation. Laceleaf doesn’t take up a lot of visual space, but it soften those hard edges.
The other trap people gets themselves into is size. These aren’t bonsai, right? They are not little trees we picture in their pots on our patio. Some (like Garnet or Shaina) are indeed rounded and compact, but many varieties is proper giants. The Sango Kaku gets to be twenty-five feet tall. It is not a shrub. It is a true statement piece for a woodland edge or large lawn. Placing a giant of an upright variety in a small pot make for stressed out and stunted growth.
Read the height columns. It tells you where that thing’s going to live, and no, it won’t be exactly where you’d hoped it would remains forever. The other thing: Exposure to light does make or break color. To get really deep red coloring, red-leaves types want sun; they’ll also scorch and go limp with too much blazing afternoon sun in hot zones. It is a fine line.
The infographic say most cultivars do best in part shade. This means a bit of morning sun followed by some relief later in the day, which preserves the colors without burning tender leaves. I would also add that this applies to hotter zones, like the south. Green kinds will tolerate deeper shade (with less dramatic fall color, as you might expect). It is more about survival than drama, but that is okay. If you have a thick stand of oak trees overhead it’s a fair tradeoff.
The soil matters more then we realize. Don’t let maples have wet feet. These trees want slightly acidic, well-drained soils. Leaves goes yellow and weak if your soil pH is on the high side. Fertilizing won’t help; the nutrients are there, they just aren’t available to the tree. Amend soil at planting time and you’ll see instant results.
To help with structure and drainage, add organic matter in it. Follow up by mulching heavily to cool the roots and moisten them. It is a simple step, but it cuts down on water stress in hot summer weather. They also don’t need a lot of pruning (but the right kind make a big difference).
No shearing these guys into box shapes; no, they are meant to be shaped with gentle cuts and let grow on their own. Prune out any crossing branches in late winter. Let nature do its thing. The end result is a graceful silhouette that holds up well even in winter bareness. In fact, some varieties such as the Sango Kaku have coral-colored bark that realy shines in the dormant season.
Pick the right variety for your conditions and you get four-seasons interest. Take the time to match the tree to the spot, it’s worth it.