Could anyone identify my (very first!) Japanese Maple? I bought it at a closing out sale last summer and didn't realize at the time that there's more than one variety of red Japanese Maple - imagine my surprise when I discovered otherwise! The pictures show the effects of my having put it in the sun during the hottest part of the summer - shortly after these photos, all the leaves fell off. It has recovered, no thanks to my mistreatment, and leafing out nicely now. The chap I bought it from indicated that it's mature size is about 12-15 feet tall. I believe it would be classified as 'matsumarae'? The leaf has 5 lobes, divided almost completely to the leaf stem (petiole?), with finely serrated edges, and the leaves are what I would call very thin compared to, e.g., Bloodgood. It doesn't seem to be a Bloodgood, Moonfire, Oregon Sunset, or Sherwood Flame, but I could be wrong...wouldn't be the first time. I plan to grow it in a container, so if I need to know anything about that, I would appreciate any advice. Thanks for any help - I've spent many hours on the internet (including this site) trying to find it with no luck.
Hi avid, Maybe a seedling , A. p. ssp. palmatum form atropurpureum, if not grafted. Cool, moist roots, good drainage , part shade are basic and usually more easily grown in the ground. Nicely branched.
Thanks, chimera, for the identification help - to these non-expert eyes, it doesn't appear to be a graft. I was hoping to grow it in a container for a few years so that I could keep it on the deck away from deer browsing, but maybe I'd better rethink that.
Likely will do well in a pot , just a little more care. Quite a few members are growing their maples in pots on the forum here. Can relate to deer damage, most can be done here during the fall rut by the bucks damaging the trunks with their horns. Would think if you can keep the pot cool , maybe shaded, would be best, or a fence around it if you plant it out.
mountain maples has a very nice beginner's guide to growing maples in containers (PDF file offered for free download): http://www.mountainmaples.com/media/documents/Container_Growing.pdf
Thanks so much for that link, paxi - it's just the kind of help I need, written for those of us who are 'maple-challenged', as it were.
