I am looking for some help in chosing a Maple for my garden. The site is beside a fountain stone and some large boulders. I am wanting something that will grow 20+ft tall with a wide spread to give shade to hostas and ferns as well as room to walk under the canopy. The water table in our area is quite high in winter. A deep hole excavated filled with water to within a foot of the top. I am considering A. griseum , A.japonicum or an A. palmatum. I am hoping someone could let me know if there is one that will be happy in full sun with that amount of moisture in the winter. Thank you! Wendy
This situation sounds too challenging to take a chance with the species you are interested in. However, they are beautiful maples, and in mild Victoria, you could certainly grow Acer japonicum, A. palmatum, and many other similar maples in a pot in that spot, preferably on flat stone rather than directly on the soil. By the way, it typically takes a couple of decades for a young Japanese maple to get to 20 feet. Here in the Maples forum, do read about a suitable size pot for a particular specimen of Japanese maple as it is advised to move up gradually in size as the tree grows. Acer griseum typically does not have the shape that you are describing, but is a beautiful tree with more of an upright shape for another site in your garden, even a shady spot, that does not have that high water table. Van Gelderen et al, in Maples of the World (Timber Press 1994), writes: "Acer rubrum tolerates wet sites very well, and A. pycnanthum in Japan grows in very wet conditions. Many species have riverbanks, valleys, or rich bottomlands as their natural habitats. Acer saccharum ssp. floridanum grows in wet woods, and A. rubrum var. drummondii from the southern United States grows in deep swamps." Acer pycnanthum is considered a rare tree for connoisseurs, which usually means that not much is known about it in a garden setting and it is quite difficult to find. Acer rubrum and its cultivars are quite popular, but quickly paging through Van Gelderen, et al, Maples for Gardens (Timber Press 1999), it seems that they are more upright in shape and all eventually get to 50 feet or more. Another name for A. saccharum ssp. floridanum is A. barbatum, and Van Gelderen (1999) describes it as a tree up to about 39 feet in its native habitat, but much smaller in cultivation, and unfortunately rare in gardens. Check out the photographs of Acer saccharum ssp. leucoderme in the Maples Photo Gallery; it grows together with A. saccharum ssp. floridanum in Louisiana. I am not sure of the typical shape since the one in the UWBG Arboretum is growing in a crowded spot, but Van Gelderen (1999) describes it as a small tree to 26 feet or occasionally more, densely branched with a flat-topped crown. Back to the maples of Asia, we would be happy to help you with ideas for a maple in a pot until we can find one that will tolerate such a high water table. It sounds like a lovely spot.
Weather data available online would contradict the perception of "mild Victoria" that seems to prevail down here--as would its position relative to the Fraser Outflow and the growth and appearance of natural and planted vegetation up there--tree ferns right by the water at Hatley College notwithstanding.
My own experience is that Acer palmatum can take a fairly high winter water table quite easily. Acer griseum can not. Another maple to consider is Acer mandshuricum. We have one planted in an area that has seasonally high water, and the one at UBC appears to be in a site with a high water table. You also might consider mounding the soil slightly to make that 1' of soil above the high water more like 2'.
Thank you for your reply, greatly appreiciated! I will check out the books you mentioned, Laurie and see if I can find a maple that appeals and is better suited to the site....It really needs to be planted in the ground so we can have a specimen of considerable size, will consider another in a pot elsewhere though! Any thoughts on an A. palmatum that might be more tolerant if we berm up the site a bit? Thanks again, Wendy
Elsewhere Japanese maples are seen to be sensitive to impeded drainage. If you can mound or berm adequately to keep your new maple above the water table under all weather conditions every year then you should not have a problem. Otherwise, choose a tree that is tolerant of high water tables. 2002 edition of Hillier Manual of Trees & Shrubs lists no maples under 'TREES and SHRUBS suitable for DAMP SITES' on page 494. It does list Betula pendula and cvs. Maybe a 'Youngii' birch would work. Christianson's nursery near Mt Vernon has a nice one of these in a corner near the entrance, with a mixed planting in front (but not much, if anything beneath it--that is what makes it nice, it has been left to branch to the ground, as weeping trees should be instead of being pruning into a parasol or mushroom as is so often the case).
