Looking for a distinctive tree to add to your garden or landscape design? One of the most popular choices today is the Japanese Maple. Within the genus Acer, the maple trees, you will find a couple of species broken up into over 1,000 cultivated varieties that are generally accepted as “Japanese” Maples. This is unfortunate for gardeners, because when you purchase a Japanese Maple, you are usually looking to add a very specific accent to your garden. And with so many choices from red, lace leaf Japanese Maple trees to variegated green and gold dwarf varieties it may be difficult to find exactly what you are looking for.
Japanese Maple Species
First, the two acer species that generally qualify as Japanese Maples are the very popular Acer Palmatum and the Downy Japanese maple or Acer Japonicum. A few cultivars, such as Acer shirasawavum, the full moon maple, are different enough that they are often classified as separate species. Palmatum varieties tend to be more delicate and not quite as cold-hardy as Japonicum, but they have the very distinct Japanese Maple look, with spreading branches and densely clumped foliage that forms into horizontal layers. Japonicum is slightly taller–many over 30 feet–and tends to grow a little more up than out.
Describing Japanese Maple Habit
When you purchase an Acer, or any plant, and you hear someone mention its habit, they are referring to its characteristic form–the plant's mode of growth. They may use words like dwarf, semi-dwarf, horizontal, tufted, and weeping. Once you know what all this means, you can easily pick the exact tree that you want. Dwarf varieties are shrubs that are less than four feet tall. Semi-dwarf refers to smaller trees, usually no more than 10 feet tall. When a tree's habit is described as horizontal, it means that the foliage forms horizontal layers. Tufted means that the leaves grow together from the same point, forming little clumps of dense foliage. Weeping limbs are long and thin, and they grow towards the ground.
Describing Japanese Maple Foliage
The foliage of Japanese Maples varies a great deal from one cultivar to the next, and it can be difficult to find what you want. Retailers often discuss the leaf color and shape in their descriptions, because they strongly affect the overall look of the tree. Variegation is the presence of multiple colors on one leaf. Because of the immense range of hues offered by Acers, variegation can sometimes be quite dramatic. They range from the bright green to the deep red varieties that have names like “Bloodgood” and “Crimson Queen,” and the fall foliage of acers hits every color on the visible spectrum except blue. Often the cut of the leaf will be mentioned–this is just the depth of the separation of the lobes of a single leaf. The deeper the cut, the more delicate the leaf. Extreme examples of this trait would be the dissectum or lace-leaf varieties, such as “Seiryu” and “Emerald Lace.”
The Best Acer For Your Garden?
The purpose for your specific Japanese Maple purchase ultimately determines which variety you should choose. For a tree to plant as a specimen that will stand alone, you would most likely pick a variety you found to be the most interesting overall. If you are planting a Japanese-themed garden, the varieties you choose should exhibit a very typical ancient Japanese look, often to the point of exaggeration. Beyond hard landscaping, your Acers will highlight the theme more than anything else in your garden. Look for the ones that fit the size of your space and the colors you want include. And if you are choosing a variety for bonsai, dwarf varieties with small, but interesting foliage are recommended.
In short, the best Acer for your garden is the Japanese Maple that speaks to you with its habit, color, and leaf shape, and makes the statement that your special garden deserves.
Thomas Andrews is a garden writer for Wayside Gardens, an Online and Mail-Order provider of Perennials, Roses, Trees and Shrubs for American Gardens.
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