Known for their unique form, delicate and colorful leaves, and smooth bark, Japanese maples add year-round appeal to any garden or landscape. The amount to choose from is quite overwhelming, as there are more than 300 cultivars available today. With so many options, it’s easy to picture any one of these beauties in your landscape.
How to Care For Your Japanese Maple
Light Requirements: Green forms take full sun very well, although afternoon shade will prevent slight sunburn. Most variegated forms need semi-shade to keep lighter parts of their leaves from crisping. Red cultivars of many weeping varieties need some shade as well. However, note that they will not develop typical deep red colors without the benefit of strong sunlight for part of the day.
Watering Requirements: Japanese Maples have fibrous root networks that stay at the upper level of the soil. They are not overly competitive for water and are therefore compatible with most shrubbery.
A uniform level of moisture supply, whether great or small, must be maintained. Wet periods followed by very dry ones, or vice versa, can cause leaf drop, leaf scorch, or twig die back. Watering the leaves in full sun during the hot summer months will also cause leaf scorch.
Soil Preferences: Acidic or well-drained, neutral soil is preferable. Japanese Maples thrive under the same conditions as Rhododendrons.
Japanese Maple Varieties Available at Meadows Farms
Remember, the Japanese Maples listed below are just a selection of the varieties that Meadows Farms carries. Please call your local Meadows Farms for other varieties or special requests.