Japanese maple on fire
December 09, 2008
Just a couple months ago, when we moved into the new house, I wondered what color the Japanese maple would turn in the fall.
My question has been answered quite satisfactorily this week. Red!
Even yesterday there was a tinge of green around many of the leaves.
But today, the green has disappeared and it glows crimson. What a beautiful last hurrah for autumn.
Update: If you’re interested in growing Japanese maples in Austin and want more info on growing conditions, see Blake’s comment below. He offered some very helpful information. —Pam
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Ohhh that is truly spectacular! Gotta love those maples for their fall foliage!
So true. I never expected to have one here in Austin, where conditions for Japanese maples are less than ideal. But I lucked into this beauty when we moved. —Pam
Spectacular!
It looks like we were both posting about fall color today. Did you see the article in the Statesman about it too? We’re all on the same wavelength.
BTW, I was going to leave a comment on your blog, but then I realized that your comment field doesn’t allow anonymous commenters, i.e., those without Google/Blogger accounts like me. Just FYI. Cheers—Pam
Pam…Vibrant red..perfect for your garden…nothing shy about these maples and they are putting on one heck of an autumn show for the new gardener! Gail
This is Austin’s best year for fall color in all my years here. This maple is doing its best to steal the show. —Pam
Your Japanese maple is gorgeous! It’s in the ground, too – I aspire to a Japanese maple in the ground someday. What kind of conditions is it growing in?
Hi, Rachel. I’ve never thought Japanese maples would grow well here in our hot, drought-plagued climate, so I admit I was surprised to see this one doing so well on thin, limestone soil, jammed right up next to the foundation. Not ideal conditions, I’m guessing. However, it’s under the shade of live oaks, on the north side of the house, and I suspect the previous owners were generous with the sprinkler system. I am already weaning the landscaping from the twice-weekly waterings it was accustomed to. Hopefully, I won’t kill the maple in the process. —Pam
I am positively longing for one of those trees, and have been drooling over them in the neighborhood for months now! Yours is phenomenal, Pam. Breath-taking. The leaves are so pretty in shape, and the red, simply dazzling!
Brenda
I bet Japanese maples are wonderfully suited for acidic East Texas soil, Brenda. What’s stopping you? 🙂 —Pam
Holy cow! Your Japanese maple is so brilliant and healthy looking, Pam – guess you’re glad the previous owners were adventurous.
You do realize posting this photo on your blog will probably cause a run on any specimens in local nurseries, don’t you?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
No, that didn’t occur to me, Annie, or I would have put a disclaimer up: “I still don’t think Japanese maples are well suited to Austin.” And yet…this tree is making me wonder. It might all come down to shade and plenty of water (see my answer to Rachel’s comment). —Pam
Wow! Fantastic color on that maple. Do you know what variety it is?
I have no idea, Dave. It’s sure a beauty though. —Pam
I always try to plant Japanese maples. I have three small ones here. The fall color on yours is beautiful!
Thanks, Robin. I’ve always admired them (and inherited a huge one with my first home in Raleigh) but considered them ill-suited for Austin’s climate. So inheriting this one has been a very pleasant surprise. —Pam
Oh, oh, oh, I want one! I’m happy for you to have such a gorgeous tree in your new home.
Thanks, Robin. I just hope I can keep this one happy on less water than it was probably getting from the previous owners. Time will tell. —Pam
Pam, that is stunning! I’ve tried a couple of times to grow Japanese Maples but have yet to keep one alive for more than a year. I hear that Shantung Maples are better suited to our area and I need to look into that. In the meantime, I’ll enjoy pictures of yours!
I would expect Houston’s acidic soil to be fine for them. Is it just too hot for them to do well? I’m not familiar with Shantung maples and will have to look them up online. —Pam
That is SUCH a gorgeous tree! You must be totally thrilled 🙂
Yes, I am, Amy. (Though also quite surprised to see it here; see my answers to other comments.) I am loving its scarlet, delicately-shaped leaves and graceful, green trunk. —Pam
Beautiful indeed. It is no wonder that Japanese Maples are grown in so many gardens. There is a Japanese Maple to satisfy the most finicky of gardeners.
And I’m not finicky at all, where this tree is concerned. I’m just thrilled to have one at all. 😉 —Pam
Wow! That is truly a gorgeous maple.
Cameron
It really is. I’m grateful to be able to enjoy it every day. —Pam
Yours is a species Acer Palmatum, referred to as a green Japanese maple. Grown from seed, it is usually used as rootstock for grafting other cultivated forms due to its hardiness. But this doesn’t make it any less beautiful in its own right.
Don’t fear growing Japanese maples in Austin. Sure, some forms are more picky than others. But many will do fine.
Some very general info: JMs are understory trees. In Austin, give them some morning sun and noon/afternoon shade. Or dappled sun throughout the day. Avoid direct afternoon sun during hot months. They also prefer protection from hot winds. JMs like moist, well-drained soil. Emphasis on well drained. Wet feet will kill them, usually quickly. They prefer acidic or neutral soil, but many are adaptable to alkaline soil. They have shallow and non-invasive root systems. They don’t require deep soil and they won’t harm a foundation. It is generally not a good idea to start digging around the base of an established JM to plant underneath it. Nor is it a good idea to create a raised bed around an established tree. Your tree should do fine with a deep watering once a week during the summer. The base of the tree is in full shade – it’ll stay cooler.
Shantung maples (pronounced “shan-tong”) is different species of maple altogether. It’s a medium size shade tree (30+ ft.) that originated in China. Leaves look like a Sweet gum. Bright yellow fall color. It’s heat and sun tolerant and adapts to a variety of soils – endorsed by Texas A&M for hardiness. In Austin, some late afternoon might be appreciated until it gets established. But it should do OK is full sun.
This is wonderful information, Blake. Very helpful! Thank you so much for ID’ing my maple and explaining the conditions they prefer in Austin, as well as the Shantung maple. May I ask what your background is with these trees, and whether you’ve grown them in Austin? Again, thanks. —Pam
Hi Pam.
Amazing color on this maple. I have had one that I have tortured for years…in the ground, out the ground, back in a container (repeat twice)…poor thing. I am afraid to try it in the ground again, it always seems to put it in a slow decline. This tree gives me the will to try once more next year. I am curious as to what side of your new abode this one faces?
An envious,
ESP.
It’s on the north side, under the shade of live oaks, Philip. See Blake’s comment, above, for encouragement and advice about growing them in Austin. —Pam
WOW! What a great surprise!
Yes, wonderful! —Pam
That is the reddest red maple I’ve ever seen. What a treat!
Aiyana
It might be helped by the fact that ALL the deciduous trees in Austin put on a spectacular show this year. I hope it will be this beautiful every year, but time will tell. —Pam
The last couple of sentences in my comment above should have read “In Austin, some late afternoon shade might be appreciated until it gets established. But it should do OK in full sun.” Apologies for my failure to proofread.
Regarding my experience with trees… I’m a plant enthusiast, Japanese Maples being my primary interest.
On growing them in Austin… No experience. I’ve lived in Dallas for many years, and my experience is from growing them here. One benefit you folks in Austin have is that even during the summer, night time temperatures tend to be relatively cool. This gives the trees a chance to recover. In Dallas, night time temperatures stay very warm and the trees don’t get that same opportunity.
To ESP… As you’ve already found out, JMs are pretty easy to relocate due to their shallow root systems. But understand that often a transplanted tree, especially from a pot to native soil, may look pretty crappy for a year or two until it gets adjusted. So assuming you’ve got a form that is adaptable, and you’ve followed the basic guidelines I’ve outlined above, perhaps a bit of patience might prove successful.
Some other general comments…
I want to stress the some JMs are more difficult to grow than others. The ones that prove difficult for us in Texas tend to be more heat sensitive (including hot winds) and also sensitive to salt build-up in the root zone. But there are many that will perform just fine with reasonable care.
There is plenty of good information online about growing JMs and several useful books (those by Vertrees/Gregory and van Gelderon in particular). But understand that nearly all available information is provided from the perspective of those living in the PacNW, Northeast, UK, Holland and/or Japan. So you will see references to full sun and heat tolerance that simply do not translate to Texas. (This includes the tags on all those Monrovia plants I you find in nurseries.)
I didn’t cover fertilization in my previous post… generally, apply a small amount of time-release fertilizer early in the Spring before the buds open (I’m guessing February in Austin). Try to avoid ones with very high levels of nitrogen. If you’re using organics, you will likely need to re-apply in small amounts over the course of the year. But try to avoid granular fertilizers during the summer as these can be difficult for the trees to handle when temperatures are hot. Liquids seem to work better during hot weather, but obviously, they have to be applied more often as they wash away. (I’ll add my basic disclaimer that before you begin applying fertilizers you should first have a decent idea of your soil composition, so you can properly supplement what isn’t already in there.)
Lastly, one trouble-shooting comment. Most JMs will decline here due to being waterlogged or too dry/cooked with too much sun. The tricky part is that the symptoms the tree will show – leaves that brown and dry up starting at the tips – is identical for both problems. So if you’re having trouble, you may need to do some digging to find out exactly what’s going on.
Again, thanks, Blake. This is great information to have. I appreciate your taking the time to share your knowledge. —Pam
Wow, that’s some amazing fall color! I’m so envious. This year I’ve gotten good pure yellow from my Mexican buckeyes and a nice toasty orangeish hue from the smoke tree. I keep forgetting to get a picture of the ‘Marilyn’s Choice’ abutilon in front of the smoke tree. The foliage is providing a gorgeous backdrop to the flowers right now.
And thanks too for pointing out Blake’s comments, which were really informative.
Ooh, I bet the abutilon flowers do look nice in front of the smoke tree. Do you have a pomegranate? The yellow foliage is gorgeous this year. —Pam
Has somebody called the fire brigade yet? 😉
They’re on the way, YE. I can hear the siren. —Pam
Does anyone know if the JM will grow in Corpus Christi? I live in N Alabama and i grow them for a hobby. My son lives in Corpus and I was planning on taking him a sprout in a pot that I had grown.
Neal
I do not know, Neal. If your son does try one, I can only suggest a northern exposure and full shade. That’s what is working for me here in Austin. —Pam