I am planing a japanese garden for my yard in Terrace, B.C. but can't find much information on cold tolerant maples. I have a fresh copy of J.D. Vertrees but it has no comments on cold tolerance. I have a "korean maple" selected at a local nursery because of its reputed cold tolerance, buy haven't found much information on this variety. Am new to the forum and maples. any suggestions or ideas much appreciated.
Hi, The "Korean Maple" generally refers to A. pseudosieboldianum. Van Gelderen has this as hardy to zone 6, although others seem to think 5. Zone 4 seems like a stretch. A beautiful maple though. Careful there is a sub-species which is less hardy. Most A. palmatum are not good beyond zone 5. Some here have talked about stretching the zone a little, perhaps someone will chime in. A. japonicum 'Vitifolium' might stretch to your zone. I'd be tempted to try A. pictum. A. mandshuricum is zone 4, but mine (in zone 8) leafs out so early it is very prone to spring frosts. (We're expecting one tomorrow, mandshuricum is in full leaf). A. tartaricum and sub-species (ginalla) will certainly thrive in zone 4, and these are some very attractive maples. HTH -E
Two of my favorites will work, acer triflorum and acer griseum. They also leaf out later for me than my Japanese acers. Watching the buds swell on the triflorum is amazing, an expanding checkerboard pattern. It has a lovely bright green in the summer and is very full with great fall color. Griseum probably needs no introduction. I have found the triflorum to be a little faster growing, but both of mine started not so many years ago at about 18" and are definitely trees now. There is also a Girard's hybrid that may be as hardy. I have one but it is still in a pot. It has the most intense red color mixed with persistent green in the fall--all in one leaf. Truly unique and simply amazing. It is supposed to be faster growing than the species, but doesn't develop the flaking bark as griseum does. The fall color is like nothing I have ever seen, really breathtaking.
acer Tegmentosum,or better the cultivar "Joe Witt",with white bark in winter and Platanoides!!NORWAY maples is the best maple for zone 4 ... ok aren't japanese but some cultivar have leaves (for ex.Platanoides Palmadifidum)similar to japanese maple..
I have attached a link to a site with information on maples for colder climates. I was not able to locate the article that I was searching for by Sue Wiegrefe on this topic when she was at the Morton Arboretum. It is out on the web I just could not locate it this morning. I hope the link works. www.weedpatch.com/wp_pages/ART/articles.asp?RECORD_KEY[wp_articles]=ID&ID[wp_articles]=56
I'd go with Acer ginnala as the best substitute - it has broadly similar growth rates and crown form to the various Japanese maples, not like the much larger tree-size, faster-growing A. platanoides.
