I am wondering if someone can tell me if ALL of the following JM cultivars are mounding trees, or if any of these can be in actual tree form (with a trunk and a canopy). Tamukeyama Red Dragon Lion Heart Inaba Shidare Shaina I am getting conflicting information, some photos I see are weeping, mounding types, while other pictures of the same kind are not. I very much love these trees, but I do not want a shrubby, mounding tree. Thanks for any input! Angie
Lion hearth is uprigth ,however if you shop the Jm small if possible with prune have a trees "normal"(no shrubby)i have Sango kaku like tree ,after 4 years ...alex
Tamukeyama & Inaba shidare mound; my big Shaina is globular, my smaller one more dense and bushy but Shaina does not mound
Low graft 'Red Dragon' mounding also. Duncan and Davies describes 'Lion Heart ' as "upright trunk.....Not quite as upright and arching as 'Seiryu'....becoming broadly dome shaped when mature. 13' ".
Shaina is a small, bushy dwarf that will maybe make 8 shrubby feet (you could bonsai a tree form!) and Red Dragon is likely to be the shortest on your list, low, painfully slow, and definitely mounding. Tamukeyama is cascading and mounding, but I have seen it high grafted like a "tree form" or single trunk tree. It does take to pruning well and, with dedication, could be kept in a single trunk form with a tight canopy, but not on a terribly large scale for the landscape, maybe 10-12 feet (and that would have to be a MIGHTY HIGH GRAFT!). Inaba shidare is another slow grower and has a twisting, rambling movement to the branches that you likely wouldn't want to lose to an upright prune. It will mound and definitely be wider than tall - Vertrees calls it "strongly cascading". I have seen this one high grafted like a lollipop and found it rather unfortunate looking...very Dr. Seuss. Lionheart is a semi-upright and would be the easiest from ur list to train into a single trunk tree with rounded canopy. It grows straight at first, then spreads. It would max out at about 15' though. Seiryu is similar, but more upright than Lionheart and can be as tall as 20 feet (and only half as wide - BINGO!). If you want a large single trunk dissectum with a rounded canopy, pruning a Seiryu into shape is your best (and easiest) bet. Neat project. Let us know what happens.
I have two Seryu, they're upright and strong growers (almost one feet in four months!). Also my Waterfalls are upright but with a spectacular "cascading" branches. they need to be pruned a little bit to excel their forms.
Thank you for the input! I am still undecided, getting a little frustrating really, but I appreciate the help, as I'm closer now than I was before your ideas! I definitely want a single trunk. But would like a small tree for that spot (a dwarf?). I don't mind "bonsai-ing" anything into a tree form, I'd just definitely need to read up on how to do that! I am also thinking about what I may plant along with the JM. I LOVE crimson pygmy barberry, so I do want to use that, however I'm now thinking maybe a red JM with the crimson pygmy barberry might be too much? It would be against a light gray brick house. The planting area is raised, and more circular than square, hexagon, actually. So not only do I want to finally choose my JM, I also want to choose plants to go with it that will compliment it nicely. Must be full sun plants. If you have any other ideas for JMs that I have not listed or considered, I'm open to other ideas for sure! Maybe a green JM would look better with the red barberry shrubs? I'm not sure. Thank you much! Angie http://www.glacierridge.com/landscaping
There are lots of options for a single trunk JM that makes a nice canopy and can take a sunny spot - but how tall are you wanting the mature tree to be? By the by, I love Crimson Pygmy Barberry too and its colors are fab with JMs. You have great taste. :)
Wow...thanks! Great taste? Oh and I thought the complete opposite! At least I can get my clothes to match! LOL I was hoping not to get over 5-6 feet. I know that's really limiting my choices! But I really do only want a small tree there! Of course I would like to have more, and I intend to plant a bloodgood next year, but obviously in a spot where it can be allowed to get as big as the bloodgoods may get! I LOVE the crimson pygmy barberry...I was heartbroken that I couldn't find any place to tell me it would do well in shade, because originally I would have LOVED to have planted it along my foundation, but that's always shady. It faces north, and has an overhang...it doesn't see hardly any sun! Thank you!! Angie
That sounds like could be a perfect spot for a Shirasawanum Aureum. It's a small tree, very slow growing, it needs a lot of shadow and is absolutely spectacular... Sadly, (for me) I don't have the perfect conditions/weather here for this cultivar, but anyway I will get one for my collection sooner o later (even if I have to put it in a refrigerator during summer). Angie, I will aware you: Japanese Maples are addictives, I began like you, just looking for the correct cultivar for one or two spots in my garden.... Now I have 27 and counting.... (but I'm happy)....jeje Regards Nelson
Okay, here we go - with the great help of MountainMaples tree finder :) * ACER circinatum 'Pacific Fire' - upright, tree form to 6-10 feet; would have an awesome contrast with the barberry. * ACER palmatum 'Aureum' - upright, 6-10 feet, great yellow leaf color * ACER palmatum 'Beni otake' - bamboo-like leaves, 6-10 feet; color similar to the barberry - would make a great mass of color. * ACER palmatum 'Jade Gate' - don't know this one personally - MtnMaples says, "A beautiful small tree with fresh green, star-shaped leaves that exhibit a pronounced layered look with maturity." 6-10 feet * ACER palmatum 'Moonfire' - a little taller than you want at 11-15 feet, but takes to pruning/shaping well and you would LOVE the color. Would do okay with full sun, too. There are just so many!!! You might want to try the tree finder yourself (it's does not seem to be fully functioning, but is way fun anyway) at the Mountain Maples website. Just keep in mind the full sun situation... JMs are not traditionally full sun plants but darker leaves will generally be more tolerant. Also, play with the maple selector at CarlmontNursery.com. I'm still, looking, but I think for now, my vote is for 'Moonfire'. It can be bigger than you want, but would be easily kept to 6 feet or less - NO MOUNDING. :) I'll let you know if/when I find something great. I actually am immobile with a broken leg at the moment and haven't a thing in the world to do - so thank you for keeping me busy!
I think that you should check with others in your area to see which ones do well in your part of the country. Your winters challenge some Japanese Maples. Dale B.
Thank you! I'm going to go look into that list of JM's, thanks so much!! I'm already feeling the addiction...well before I have my first one! I'm also keeping my eye open for where the next one is going to go! And the next..... I've got a good spot in my yard where I'd like to put a bloodgood eventually! Angie
