I'm considering attempting to grow an Orange Dream in a container on my patio. The space I'm considering is in pretty much full morning sun, but is shaded starting at about 12:30 in the afternoon and then for the rest of the day. Would this be a suitable space for an Orange Dream? I've read they like shade, but I'm hoping a half day of shade would be sufficient? I live in the Pacific Northwest, if that makes a difference. Thanks! Tanya
I have one of these in a pot, it gets about that much light, perhaps a bit more. It's showing some burning this year because of the extremely hot conditions we've had, but otherwise seems perfectly happy. So I think you should be fine. It should hold its color pretty well with this much light, too. -E
In this region the critical factor may be how moist the soil and atmosphere are kept. During summers here you can see one Japanese maple that looks good with a similar kind that looks tired on adjoining lots, with same exposure. The place with the maple that is still well colored will also look heavily irrigated. It's brown lawn time in Seattle, with block after block of drooping trees another common feature. Autumn color is starting to show. Our cool, dry summer/wet winter climate regime is not that common globally. Nurseries sell lots of trees (such as Japanese maples) that do not hold up well under our conditions without ample irrigation. If it keeps getting hotter here, with a severly diminshed snowpack (as predicted by UW weather scientists) there may be a general shift to drought tolerant plants and low volume water systems, as has already been advocated for some years. If you are down in the Rogue Valley (really an extension of California ecologically) or in another hotter area you may need to provide more shade than in western WA, even if spot is humid.