Although I have been discouraged (by my local nursery) from purchasing an Acer palatum Sango-kaku, I find myself still obsessed with them, and searching the internet for more information. So much of it seems to be conflicting, so I am hoping to find someone on Vancouver Island, or in Vancouver, who has some practical experience of growing one. Is it really a fungus/disease magnet? Can this tree tolerate full sun on sloping ground, or would it do better at the bottom of the garden with some shade, and the risk of 'rather damp feet' in the fall/winter/early spring months? What colours can one expect in the fall? Some say yellow and not very interesting, others say/picture, dazzling orange/yellow/red. Would you consider this tree a good investment?
I really think you should get this post moved to the maple forum,I've seen some vancouver posters there..ha ha I only noticed this because I've just had a post moved here. 'Til then I can only generalise not being a neighbour.I wouldn't think a nursery would disuade you without reason,is anyone selling/growing this in your area? The winter/spring wet position is a definate no no for any Japanese Maple,they will die.They require a free draining position so a slope may be ok as long as you can guarantee it doesn't dry out.Sango Kaku doesn't mind sun,infact needs it to change colour along with cold winter.Bear in mind though that the red bark only stays on wood for about 3years.So a 1gal tree might be all red in winter,but as they get older,only the younger ends of the branches retain it and the trunk will fade also. The weakness of the coloured bark Jms is I feel the relatively soft bark.This leaves them prone to attacks as the nursery implied.Most people even in maple friendly areas experience some blackening and die back on the younger red wood...not such a problem on older trees but can be devastating on young'uns.If your winters are likely to damage the bark then this is probably not a good choice. The fall colour for me is one of my most reliable,starting bright orange then changing to yellow. As I say,wait for responses from your area,there are some owners there but they haven't updated wether successful or not.
I think it can tolerate full sun in Vancouver. But not wet feet. This one (sorry, reduced image downloaded from FB; I'm not at home with access to the full photo) is in full sun at withstanding a drought now. I have lost others in the wet before, and this one was damaged from pseudomonas in our very wet winters. (I don't think there's any place much wetter than we are!) But it recovered. I have another in a pot, letting it gain some size before planting in the ground.
Strange that you have been discouraged from buying Sango kaku i would have assumed that this paticular cultivar is one of the main must have's in any ones collection of JM. Now obviously you location/zone will have some bearing on this but i find this cultivar very robust and will basically take anything you care to throw at it? I planted a young tree out well over eight years ago and to be honest i have never had a problem with it , just left it alone to it's own devices and it just gets bigger and bigger every year even to the point where it gets cut back very heavily every fall and comes back the next season even stronger and fuller. Would agree with Houzi though it's best in full sun especially come the fall, the colours are superb mine come out a sharp yellow with blush red edges look very similar to a ripe Apricot colouring,also you will lose the red bark colour as it gets older but mainly on the main trunk, all of the secondary branches will lose some intense red colouring during the summer months but i find that come winter time when the leaves are off ,the branches will come back to life and give off a wonderful red glow especially when wet or frosted over. At the end of the day you only have to buy a small one and just see how it progress's over the years i think you will be fine with this one , feel sure there are plenty of people on your side of the world who have these and are having no problems with them. Posted some pics of mine over the past year, fall 2015 then winter 2016 and finally this month.
