we are looking to buy this plant this weekend possibly,the tree is about 7 foot tall and in great health,its in burlap and looks to be about 30 gallon size root ball, we have read several different opinions on how much sunlight to give it.we are in south east massachussets days here are generaly 80-85 in the summer. is full sun ok? we are looking at a west side spot for this tree it will get sun from about 8am to about 3pm this tree is on sale for 150.00 usualy sells for 300.00 can anyone help? thanks
Myles, A plant I've been growing here in Philly has been fine in a full sun, windy location in a pot. As long as you can maintain a reasonable soil moisture level I would think it will thrive. Sounds like a good deal there. 'Palmatifolium' is an excellent plant, it's sturdy, great fall color,with lovely samaras and spring leaves. It tolerates a bit of stress with no drama and is amenable to some shaping.
hi. thanks for the advise. when we got to the nursery we found a wonderfull sanku kaku. it was a 45 gal plant with 2" caliper. the plant had some minor damage when it was delivered 3 years ago but has healed over well. it is 6-7 feet tall. they had several trees this size,ranging from 150.00 to 200.00. we got this one for 50.00. it was to big for me to handle so its being deliverd and planted today. we will send pictures as soon as its in the ground myles
The tree sounds nice, but be aware that A.p. 'Sango kaku' is quite different than the A. shirasawanum you originally planned to buy. It is EXTREMELY subject to twig die-back in winter. You plan to place it in a sunny, exposed location, so this may become an issue with this tree. The sun will be great to bring out the winter bark color, but if your sunny spot also gets a lot of wind - that's the recipie for dessicated twigs and limbs. They turn grey and brittle, and you have to remove them to keep the tree looking decent. My SK was a 6 footer when purchased and has been in the ground for 6 years. Its hardly put on any height because of twig die-back. Is this spot you've chosen a protected spot, or does it get some wind?
Myles, Both plants sound like very good values. Take both if possible. AS 'Palmatifolium' is, as K4 says, very different from AP 'Sango kaku'.
thanks k4 and poetry to burn for the advise. the tree will be exposed to the north east and will get some wind during the winter. we hope it does well in this location. i have heard there are anti dessication sprays that are available to help prevent this,do you know if they work? my wife is from japan and she fell in love with this tree and we hope it does well. we bought it from a nursery that specializes in jp maples and he planted it foi us and said this was a pretty good spot for it thanks again for the advise myles here are some pics
I'd put it where you can see it through a window during winter, not out in the open yard well away from the house. Also note that northeast winds are just the thing to damage the tender new growth of Japanese maples in spring. The most delicate kinds such as weeping laceleaf maples may sometimes have their new shoots in spring damaged even here in USDA 8, when located in an exposed position.
Myles, I can't believe you got this SK for $50, that's really the deal of the century! I think your maple is likely to go through a couple of tough years, but if it makes it you will have a gorgeous specimen tree in a very visible location. Expect some burn in summer for a while, but this tree should be OK with some wind so long as it stays dry, which I think should be OK in Kingston where I guess the drainage is excellent generally. Make sure you cut off the died back twigs in spring and keep vigilant for any larger blackening of branches or twigs. If you see any, cut that branch back to healthy wood. I'd keep clear of sprays etc, the sooner the plant grows into its place the better off you'll be. And for that kind of money you can afford to put up with a couple of shabby seasons. Congratulations again on your fabulous deal, I wish I could get trees like that for $50 (or even 50 EU!) -E
Emery is right That is one astonishingly good buy Congratulations It looks superb in its planted position I hope it does well for you
Gorgeous!! An absolutely beautiful tree! I don't know about the anti-dessicant sprays, but I am definitely going to try one of them this winter on my SK. From what I know, they amount to little more than a waxy substance that keeps the wind from drawing the moisture from the stems. I just bought another red-barked JM called 'Japanese Sunrise', and I'm anxious to see how it compares with SK. Good luck with your tree, and thanks for the pics!
Another great red barked palmatum is Bani Kawa. Beni kawa's red bark is brighter than Sango kaku and it persists on stems longer. It doesn't grow quite as big as Sango kaku. My Beni kawa leaves turn very intense golds with hints of orange and red in fall. I also have a Winter Flame, which is described as a dwarf form of Sango kaku, but the leaves are more deeply divided (in the matsumurae group, not palmatum) Mine is very slow growing, and suffers from twig dieback, so it's not so pretty right now at approx 5 years old.
Beni Kawa sounds really nice - I will definitely put it on my wish list. Do you have a Japanese Sunrise? If so, how has it been as far as twig die-back? I love the red bark varieties, but my SK has been a disappointment with all the twig die back. I bought an Aoyagi this year and will plant that one near an Acer circinatum "Pacific Fire', that is supposed to have stunning red bark. Thanks for the info!
You will be impressed with Aoyagi which is a great stalwart and a beautiful real green leaf colour (apart from the green bark)
Yes, I have had Aoyagi in a pot all season and it is a lovely pure green with bright green bark. I understand the bark gets more intense in color during winter like SK, is this correct? I also got a Yukon, which is supposed to be similar but smaller than Aoyagi. I'm also anxious to see what another cultivar I bought will look like, named Hinata yama. It has green bark streaked with yellow. Regards,
I must admit I have never noticed any intensity in the colour of the green bark during winter ... with no leaves on the tree it is quite possible that you get that impression simply because the bark is more 'in your face' at that time .... Hinata yama sounds interesting. A pic would be nice :)
