Japanese maples (Acer palmatum and cultivars) are extraordinarily beautiful garden trees, prized, admired and planted extensively for centuries in ornamental horticulture.They are definitely worthy of the adoration plant lovers extend to them. Grow them for the wonderful foliage color and winter branching structure.

Plant Depot proudly offers both green and red leaf seedlings. Seedling maples are not grafted. They grow much faster and larger than grafted types.

We receive only one or two shipments per year, so the selection is for a very limited time.  Japanese maples can grow in containers or in the ground. In warmer inland areas, a sheltered location - such as in a courtyard or on the north side of the house - is crucial for success. Any combination of strong sunlight, alkaline or salty soil, and dry winds can result in scorched leaf edges by midsummer. And that scorching usually ruins the fall color. Otherwise they appreciate a good amount of direct sun; the red leaf type especially needs it to develop good color.

There are hundreds and hundreds of cultivars of Japanese maples. Of course, you won't find all of them here at Plant Depot, but you will find those varieties that will do well here. Still, you will have many to choose from. So how do you make your final selection(s)? Consider tree form, foliage shape and color, cultivar needs and the desired effect or look that you are trying to achieve.

Japanes maples are attractive in groves (like birches) or singly in woodland plantings including ferns, azaleas, columbine, and hosta. There are upright forms and weeping forms, coral-colored bark that just 'pops' in winter. All leaf shapes are palmate or the classic maple shape, like the palm of your hand. Some are classically cut, others are deeply cut-leaves, giving the tree a lacy look. Spring color in most varieties is reddish-pink to pink. Summer colors range from burgundy to green to variegations of green, pink and white or cream. Fall colors can be yellow to orange to deep red-orange to red; again, depending on variety.

But fall color is only one of the only reasons to plant a Japanese maple. Few other trees are so well behaved. Their roots are noninvasive; their fallen leaves break down quickly or blow away in the wind, making autumn cleanup easy; and even the taller varieties can usually be pruned from a stepladder. The Japanese maple is an excellent choice for the smaller garden or use as a patio tree.

Japanese maples also deliver four seasons of garden interest. In winter, their bare branches (they are deciduous) have a rare structural beauty - some highly colorful, others with graceful weeping silhouettes. The branch pattern can be strongly upright on trees over 20 feet tall, or weeping and dome-shaped on shrub-like trees less than 4 feet. Some varieties have green, red, or variegated bark.

Unfortunately, many homeowners purchase a beautiful Japanese maple in spring only to watch the leaves get burned in summer. We get panicked calls from customers fearing that they have killed their beautiful young tree. The tree isn't dying - it's just suffering from heat stress, chemical burn from buildup of salts in the soil, incorrect watering, or maybe even incorrect placement in the yard.

"So," you ask, "What do we do to minimize the leaf burn?" Start with planting it properly. Materials needed for planting: peat moss, pumice (if the soil is clay), cottonseed meal and shredded bark. Maples require acidic soil (peat moss is acidic). Cottonseed meal not only provides nutrients it also acidifies the soil. Spreading used coffee grounds (like grandma did) under and around the plants also acidifies.

White vinegar diluted 3-4 tablespoons per gallon of water is yet another way to minimize build up of salts in the soil. And always be sure to top off your soil with mulch to keep the soil cool and moist. Remember that  chemical fertilizers are made of salts (ammonias, nitrates, etc.) Plus, in Southern California our water comes from the Colorado River - which has a fair amount of lime in it (from the Grand Canyon). When the water evaporates the salts remain, so by reducing the evaporation rate (with 2-3 inches of   surface mulch) we reduce the rate of salt build up.

Also note: never plant a Japanese maple in a low spot or near an area that may have standing water, or your new tree will succumb to root rot.

Japanese maples are the spotlight of any garden as they pose with complete elegance any time of year. These trees will bring beauty to your garden forever. Welcome one into your garden; you'll see just what we truly mean.

1. Choose and plant camellias, azaleas and Chinese magnolias.
2. Purchase clivia.
3. Plant gerberas and gladioli.
4. Plant lilies of the valley.
5. Plant asparagus from bare-root.
6. Prune kiwi vines.
7. Cut back fuchsias once they begin to grow.
8. In coastal zones: prune begonias, ginger, cannas, asparagus ferns, ivy and pyracantha.
9. Deadhead cool-season flowers to keep them blooming.
10. Propagate running bamboo in coastal zones.
11. Continue to fertilize citrus trees in coastal zones.
12. Continue to fertilize epiphyllums.
13. Fertilize avocado trees in coastal zones.
14. Feed deciduous fruit trees.
15. Fertilize roses.
16. Fertilize fuchsias.
17. Spread manure over the roots of bananas, ginger, cannas, asparagus, and old clumps of geranium.
18. Fertilize cineraria to promote blooms.
19. Fertilize cane berries as they begin to grow.
20. Keep roses and bulbs well-watered.
21. Bait cymbidiums and clivia for slugs and snails.
22. Control pests on citrus trees, sycamore, ash and alder trees.
23. Protect cineraria from leaf miners, aphids, and slugs and snails.
24. Mulch young avocado trees.