Can Japanese maple grow in full shade? I want to plant one in a container on the north side of the house. It will get no sunlight, either direct or filtered, but will otherwide get unobstructed daylight throughout the day. Can Japanese maples thrive in this kind of condition? What are good dwarf condidates that can grow in shade?
Good candidates would be variegated varieties that need shady locations to protect their leaves. Shigitatsusawa, Ariadne, Ukigomo, or some of the Ghost series might fill the bill. Also Acer shrasawanum 'Aureum' is doing well for me in a similar spot. Its golden-green leaves really light up the shady side of the house.
A nice container tree for that spot would be an Ap 'Tsuma gaki'. One small tree I like for shady spots is an Ap 'Murakumo' it has an interesting white coloring like and Ukigumo but has a much prettier growing habit. Ap 'First Ghost' and 'Sister ghost' have great color in the shade. First Ghost has a small growing habit and would be great in a container. For dissectums, I really like Ap 'Filigree' in the shade.
