Walking Through My Japanese Maple Grove
As you know, I absolutely love trees and I have planted hundreds of them, of all types and sizes, here at my Bedford, New York farm. Among my favorites are the Japanese maples. This time of year, my grove of Japanese maple trees are aglow with autumn color.
Many of my Japanese maples are varieties of Acer palmatum - trees that have been cultivated in Japanese gardens for centuries. Over the last several years, I’ve planted many of these trees in one section of a shade garden not far from my chicken coops and stable barn. I just love them and always look forward to their gorgeous display every fall. These specimens provide countless variations in size, leaf shape, and color, creating a landscape of beauty and texture.
Enjoy these photos.
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- Few trees are as beautiful as the Japanese maple. With more than a thousand varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile small trees for use in the landscape.
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- Japanese maples are native to areas of Japan, Korea, China, and Russia. In Japan, the maple is called the “autumn welcoming tree” and is planted in the western portion of gardens – the direction from which fall arrives there.
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- I love the contrast between the bright reds, yellows, and greens in this grove. The heavy leaf cover on the ground also enriches the soil and adds even more fall color.
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- But those brilliant fall colors aren’t a guarantee. The colors are a result of climate, weather, and environmental conditions. Here in the Northeast, fall weather usually arrives in September, with temperatures cooling off rapidly at night even when the days are still warm. These cool nighttime temperatures trigger the leaf-changing process. Unusually warm early fall weather may even prevent the leaves from turning red. This is because the color changes occur with gradually cooling temperatures – not cold snaps.
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- Leaf color best develops when nighttime temperatures remain above freezing but below 45-degrees Fahrenheit. A sudden cold snap could turn the leaves more plum-brown seemingly overnight, skipping the vibrantly red stage altogether.
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- Red leafed cultivars are the most popular, followed by green shrubs with deeply dissected leaves. The leaves in the Palmatum Group are most typical of the wild species. The leaf lobes are more divided, nearly to the leaf base.
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- I also have more rare varieties. These leaves are deeply divided, but each lobe is also dissected, giving them a lacy effect. These are from the Dissectum Group.
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- I love the bright yellow color of this lace-leaf variety.
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- This one shows off orange and yellow leaves.
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- Here’s another member of the Dissectum Group, with slightly wider leaves.
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- Japanese maple forms can be weeping, rounded, dwarf, mounding, upright, or cascading.
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- Japanese maples typically grow about one-foot per year for the first 50-years, but they can live to be more than a hundred.
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- Any heavy pruning should be done in late winter before leaf buds begin to open. Cut out scraggly interior twigs and branches, but leave the structural branches alone. Small, corrective cuts can be made any time of year.
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- Japanese maple trees are particularly suitable for borders and ornamental paths because their root systems are compact and not invasive. Through this woodland grove, they line both sides of the carriage road.
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- Young trees should be kept moist to prevent their shallow root structures from drying out and weakening, particularly during the hot summer months.
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- Japanese maples are hardy in hardiness zones 5 through 8.
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- They can withstand very cold temperatures, but in summer, water deeply during dry spells and cut back on the amount of water in late summer to intensify the autumn color.
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- As these young trees grow, their colors will become even more vibrant. I love seeing how they develop through the seasons – many have such interesting growth habits.
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- With the right conditions, the fall colors of the Japanese maple may last for several weeks. Unfortunately, we did have a dip in temperatures over the weekend and are expecting much colder weather this week, so the colors have now dulled a bit.
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- The best location is a sunny spot with afternoon shade. Red and variegated leaves need relief from hot afternoon sun in summer but need the light to attain full color.
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- If you grow them in containers in colder zones, allow the plants to go fully dormant outside and then bring them into an unheated garage or other sheltered, cool area. In warmer zones, place them in a shaded location where they can be protected from drying winds.
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- I purposely planted my Japanese maples beneath larger trees. The varying heights of these trees also add a nice texture to the grove.
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- I love this grove and continue to add more and more gorgeous Japanese maples to this collection. I am sure my late sister, Laura, who adored Japanese maples, would approve.
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