With over 140 hours of the past 7 days below freezing with very little snow cover, our lawns and landscapes look as if they have been left uncovered in the deep freeze and are now suffering from a bad case of freezer burn.

After a long cold week of long johns, heavy coats and gloves, I doubt you are looking for a list of lawn and landscape tasks to accomplish over the next few days.

So, go ahead, pour yourself another cup of coffee, grab a blanket, and head to your comfy chair closest to the fireplace and spend a few minutes dreaming about beautiful landscapes.

Specifically, let’s dream of Japanese Maples – The Aristocrat of the Landscape

Japanese Maples are sure to add bright colors to your fall landscape.

Michael Dirr, author of the Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs textbook, writes:

“True aristocrats are rare among people and trees, but Japanese Maple is in the first order.

It is difficult to imagine a garden that could not benefit from one of the many forms of Acer palmatum.

The normal habit is round to broad-rounded, with the branches assuming a layered,

almost stratified architecture similar to Flowering Dogwood.

Leaves are light green to dark green, to reddish purple.

Fall color is sensational with rich yellow and reds through the fall.

The winter silhouette is attractive, providing interest during the off season.

Landscape uses for the species and its many cultivars are limited only by

the imagination of the gardener.”

Japanese Maples have added spectacular color to the fall landscape this year. Garnet is a graceful small variety with lacy leaves and a weeping growth habit.

A few things everyone needs to know about Japanese Maples:

Site

Japanese Maples grow well from zone 5-8, making them a good choice for Oklahoma City’s zone 7. They perform best when planted in dappled sun to shade and out of direct afternoon sun. Shade does have its limits…they need some sun for the best fall foliage color. During the summer heat, it is common for them to experience some leaf scorch, especially if they receive direct sun. They prefer well-drained soil and consistent moisture. During the heat of the year, you can expect them to need extra deep watering the first couple of seasons. But once they are established, they are essentially carefree.

Monrovia, a leader in the development and growing of landscape plants, refers to “Japanese Maples a statement plant…one of the most compelling plants you can add to your landscape.”

With over 1,000 varieties and cultivars of the Japanese Maples, there has to be one perfect for your landscape.

Tamukeyama Japanese Maple has deep red-purple leaves through the summer and bright red fall foliage. With cascading branches it grows in a mounding shape 10’ fall and 10’ wide.

Coral Bark Japanese Maples have pale green leaves in the summer, Golden yellow fall color, and bright red-coral branches in the winter.

Japanese Maples are a staple landscape plant that will add interest to a landscape year round.

A mature Japanese Maple, such as this Bloodgood, will grow in full sun locations where the soil is shaded.

Size & Form

Japanese Maples range from a few feet tall to 25’. Considered a deciduous small tree or shrub, there are rounded, dwarf, weeping, upright, cascading, single trunk, multi-trunk…. varieties.

How can you use a Japanese Maple in your landscape?

You can create a solitary specimen as a spotlight in the landscape.

You can plant them in a group as a grove.

Or, you can use them in large containers.

Leaves from a Bloodgood Japanese Maple cover the ground with a red carpet as they drop from the tree.

Leaf Shape

Japanese Maple foliage is divided into two types: traditional maple type, 2-5” wide palm-shaped with 5-7 lobes, or delicate and lacy.

Japanese Maples varieties will have either traditional maple shaped leaves or delicate and lacy leaves like this weeping variety.

Green and red Japanese Maples planted in a group to create a grove.

Bloodgood Japanese Maples make a bold statement in April when their leaves emerge a brilliant red.

Leaf Color

Japanese Maples are among the most wide-range, colorful trees. The foliage ranges from red, green, orange, deep red-purple and bright red-pink depending on the time of year. Some leaf out brilliant reds in the spring, change to green in the summer, and finish the year in bright reds, yellows and oranges. Other varieties start red in the spring, keep a red cast all summer keeping the red color through fall.

Monrovia’s website is a great place to explore Japanese Maples.

Fun Fact – Fried maple leaves are a very popular snack in Japan. The city of Minoh is famous for their fired maple leaves. The leaves are dipped and fried in tempura batter.

How To Plant A Japanese Maple

Dig a hole twice as wide as the tree container and a few inches deeper.
Backfill the bottom of the hole with a mixture of the soil from the site and a compost material (Back to Nature or Landscape Grower’s Mix are a couple of favorites). Tamp firmly the soil in the bottom of the hole.
Place the tree in the hole with the top of the root ball approximately 2” higher than the surrounding grade.
Back fill halfway with your soil and compost mixture.
Lightly tamp down the soil and water well.
Finish filling around the tree.
Mulch with a 2” layer of a Grade A Cedar Mulch and water well.

Japanese Maples are a great staple plant for every landscape. If you don’t have one, you should consider adding a Japanese Maple to your landscape this year.

Oh, you have one? Don’t you think you should add another?

Lorne Hall

Hall | Stewart Lawn + Landscape

(405)367-3873