1st and foremost, as a fellow gardener, I’m obliged to tell you, you must have at least 1 Japanese maple somewhere on your property. These top garden design tips will make your garden the envy of the block. I promise beyond any reasonable doubt, these pricey gems are worth every penny (or dollar!)
Pick Number 3 – Bloodgood Japanese Maple. I’m sure everyone has seen one of these. They are as elegant as they come. I have to tell you I actually sent my 1st one back to the garden centre upon delivery. What you want to look for is an interesting trunk system not just a single stick coming out of the ground. The Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’ can grow quite tall to about 18 feet. The purplish-red leaves hold their color well throughout the summer. You can’t go wrong with this zone 4 beauty.
Pick Number 2 – Cutleaf Japanese Maple. These little beauties come in two colors; red and green. I have one of each! The finely cut delicate leaf is why I chose the Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Viridis’ to be a top pick. The color the red leaf turns in the fall is simply spectacular. You can prune these babies to determine the character and size so no two are the same. They’re not quite as hardy as the Bloodgood but if you’re in zone 6 or greater, you’re in luck!
Pick Number 1 – Inaba Shidare Maple. WOW. That pretty much sums it up. Take a smaller Bloodgood and combine it with the beautiful Cutleaf and you have the Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Inaba Shidare. This is one amazing specimen. It’s like a living statue of David! Keep this beauty in the sun and it will not disappoint. Good to zone 5, the fern like leaves are darker than most other Japanese maples.
There is actually one more on my list that is an absolue MUST HAVE. It’s the Crimson Queen Japanese Maple. This beautiful mounding zone 5 speciman is to die for. The bright crimson-red, extremely finely cut leaves retains its color well all sumer long. This expensive beauty is will worth the price of admition.
