The York Guardian

The Japanese maple is also known as Acer palmatum; it's dramatic and unforgettable and provides vibrant fall colour in the garden. Although Japanese maples come in a number of varieties of greens - for example the cultivar 'Versicolor' has green foliage mottled with white and pink - the majority of people tend to prefer the familiar crimson.

When it comes to Japanese maples, there is a variety available for every gardener, suited to any size of garden. Interestingly, the hardier forms of Japanese maple are the larger leaf varieties with green-coloured foliage. Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' is one of the hardier red-leaved maples for sheltered gardens in the Toronto area.

A number of varieties have foliage that change colour with the seasons. In shadier conditions, some Japanese maples will appear less red and display more shades of green.

Some varieties, like 'Katsura,' will change colour depending on the season. There is lots of opportunity to design contrasting shapes, colours and textures with companion planting around a Japanese maple. The red foliage of a Bloodgood Japanese maple will contrast well with hostas underneath of a green gold colour. As you can tell, the possibilities for design are limitless.

Japanese maples are such a versatile plant with many forms and varieties available. Here are five distinct shapes of Japanese maples:

- Weeping,

- Upright single stem in a tree form,

- Upright multi-stem shrub,

- Mounding multi-stem shrub,

- Dwarf varieties.

Two unique groups of cultivars have been developed from Acer palmatum: types with dissected leaves and types without dissected leaves. There are many other ways to classify Japanese maples, but this is the simplest one.

The cutleaf Japanese maple will have a botanical name of Acer palmatum dissectum. I would describe the foliage as deeply lobed or, as the name suggests, dissected to resemble the foliage of a fern or even small threads. The cutleaf Japanese maples contrast well with the larger rounded leaf of a perennial called Heuchera or coral bells in the garden.

While the majority of nurseries in Toronto will carry Japanese maples, there are a few nurseries outside the GTA that specialize in Japanese maples and carry more unique varieties.

Once you have decided you would like to own a Japanese maple, you need to check your garden to see if you have the proper conditions. Japanese maples are one of the most expensive plants to purchase and it is important to make sure you have the right space in your garden for one to thrive.

More about Japanese maples and specific planting advice will follow in my next article.

Marilyn Pomer is a landscape designer for Greenescape Designs Inc. E-mail Marilyn at marilyn@greenescape.ca with questions or comments.