No matter what botanicals Japanese maples are planted next to, they tend to steal the show. This maple is 'Crimson Queen.' (J. D. Vertrees)
By Roxanne Washington, The Plain Dealer
BAY VILLAGE, Ohio — It’s safe to say that Laura Nobles really, really likes Japanese maples.
About 25 maples of varying heights, colors and leaf textures dot the landscape around her home in Bay Village, which sits on about a third of an acre.
The trees on her property aren’t a forest of the tall, commanding red maples you might expect when Japanese maples are mentioned. Some of Nobles’ maples are of the dwarf, weeping varieties that could be mistaken for shrubs. Others that are new to the landscape are so spare and petite, they’re aren’t recognizable as Japanese maples.
Still, 25 — with more likely to come — is a lot of trees. So what gives?
“I love the variation,” Nobles says as she follows the stone path that winds along the maples and other plantings in her yard. Nobles ticks off the names of the trees, some of which have Japanese names and others English.
“I started out with a Japanese maple, and I watched how much the leaves changed through the season until they got bright red in the fall,” she says. “Then I went on the Internet to find out what else is out there. When I saw the variety, the collector’s impulse took over.”
Nobles isn’t alone in her love for Japanese maples, which are said to be among the most popular trees. Whether a tall upright specimen or an umbrella-shaped weeper, a Japanese maple in all of its blazing red glory has propelled many homeowners to garden centers in search of such breathtakingly beautiful specimens for their own yard.
The 'Inaba shidare' Japanese maple grows deep purple leaves that retain their color. They do not bronze out in the late season, as do the red tones of other Japanesse maples. (J. D. Vertrees)
Says Richard Bartsche of Cahoon Nursery in Westlake, “They call the Japanese maple the ‘queen of the garden’ because it attracts so much attention.”
Another reason Japanese maples are in such demand, say Nobles and Bartsche, is that, whether the trees are of the shorter, weeping variety or tall uprights, they all grow gracefully.
“They take very little pruning because they are so slow-growing,” Nobles says.
Notes Bartsche, “The thing about Japanese maples is that they are easily controlled, especially the weepers. Weepers are very adaptable to pruning if you want to keep them to about 3 feet.”
That they are slow-growing also makes Japanese maples an unwise choice for instant plant-gratification types.
“These are for people who are willing to wait up to five to 10 years for maturity,” Nobles says.
Japanese maples are adaptable to a variety of soil types, and they like sun. They grow in sizes that are suitable to small gardens, or can get tall and wide.
The leaves of the 'Tiger Rose' emerge in the spring a bright prink, gradually changing to creamy white with a green network of veins and pink red margins and tips. (Peter Gregory)
In the spring, some Japanese maples produce colorful and dainty seeds that dangle like delicate earrings.
Some have leaves that are green through the summer, then suddenly burst into breathtakingly bright red or burgundy at the arrival of fall.
Some have leaves with variegated color. Some have leaves that remain brilliant throughout the summer and fall.
Some have deeply lobed leaves resembling hands. Others have lacy leaves.
In other words, what’s not to love?
According to J.D. Vertrees & Peter Gregory, authors of “Japanese Maples — The Complete Guide to Selection and Cultivation” ($49.95, Timber Press), “For more than 300 years Japanese maples have been developed and selected for their beauty and variation of form and color. By selection and cross-pollination, more than 250 cultivars have been developed.”
Nobles and Bartsche say ‘Crimson Cream’ is among their favorite Japanese maples, and these are readily available at most garden centers. The leaves of ‘Crimson Cream’ have peachy-red edges with creamy centers and deep green veins. The colors change daily during spring until the summer heat turns the foliage to lush green with white variegation. Fall brings rich yellow to the leaves with deep red edges.
‘Viridis’ is another Japanese maple that got Nobles hooked on Japanese maples, and another favorite of Bartsche. ‘Viridis’ has bright, almost citrus-green leaves.
“That color green is so unique that you can’t find it in any other plant that I know of,” says Bartsche.
As for an upright Japanese maple, ‘Bloodgood’ is one of Bartsche’s favorites. The foliage is described as having the deepest red of all maples, and it holds its color all summer. In the fall, the leaves burst into bright crimson.
The leaves of the "Red Filigree Lace' are among the most finely cut of all lace-leaf maples. The color is a deep purple-red or maroon and persists throughout the growing season. (Peter Gregory)
“The fall color is spectacular,” says Bartsche. “If you are driving by one, I guarantee you will slow down and take a look.”
The opinion on whether or not Japanese maples can be grown and maintained in pots is mixed. Nobles isn’t crazy about the idea. Bartsche says it’s possible, but it’s a lot of work. Gardeners who are successful at it bury the maple-containing pot in winter and cover it with mulch. The potted roots aren’t subject to damage due to the ground freezing and thawing throughout the winter, as are loose roots.
Nobles and Bartsche recommend doing lots of research before purchasing a Japanese maple. Don’t buy one on a whim because you’re struck by the color. Make sure you’re aware of whether or not the tree will stay red all summer, if that’s what you want; how tall and wide it will grow; and, as with any plant purchase, the optimum growing conditions.
There is lots of information about Japanese maples online. If you want a hard-copy reference, “Japanese Maples — The Complete Guide to Selection and Cultivation” is very extensive, perhaps more information than the average gardener needs.
Another book, “Maples” (Firefly Books), is much more succinct. If you can’t find a copy at the library, Amazon.com has used copies for less than $1, plus shipping.
