Mid-November in My Japanese Maple Grove
This time of year, my grove of Japanese maple trees is aglow with autumn color - bright yellows, oranges, and reds.
Many of my Japanese maples are varieties of Acer palmatum - trees that have been cultivated in Japanese gardens for centuries. Over the last several years, I’ve planted many of these trees in one section of a shade garden not far from my chicken coops and tropical hoop houses. They were planted in honor of my late sister, Laura Plimpton, who adored Japanese maples. I always look forward to their gorgeous display every fall. These specimens provide countless variations in size, leaf shape, and color, creating a landscape of beauty and texture that gets better and better every year.
Enjoy these photos. And on this Veterans Day, we honor all the men and women military veterans of the United States Armed Forces who have served and sacrificed to defend our country. Thank you.
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- Few trees are as beautiful as the Japanese maple. With more than a thousand varieties and cultivars including hybrids, the iconic Japanese maple tree is among the most versatile small trees for use in the landscape. Every year, all of us here at the farm wait for this woodland to burst with color.
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- Japanese maples are native to areas of Japan, Korea, China, and Russia. In Japan, the maple is called the “autumn welcoming tree” and is planted in the western portion of gardens – the direction from which fall arrives there.
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- I love the contrast between the bright reds, oranges, yellows, and greens in this grove. The heavy leaf cover on the ground also enriches the soil and adds even more fall color.
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- But those brilliant fall colors aren’t a guarantee. The colors are a result of climate, weather, and environmental conditions. Here in the Northeast, fall weather usually arrives in September, with temperatures cooling off rapidly at night even when the days are still warm. These cool nighttime temperatures trigger the leaf-changing process. Unusually warm early fall weather may even prevent the leaves from turning red. This is because the color changes occur with gradually cooling temperatures – not cold snaps.
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- Leaf color best develops when nighttime temperatures remain above freezing but below 45-degrees Fahrenheit. A sudden cold snap could turn the leaves more plum-brown seemingly overnight, skipping the vibrantly red stage altogether.
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- Here, one can see the leaves transforming from green to dark burgundy.
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- Red leafed cultivars are the most popular, followed by green shrubs with deeply dissected leaves. The leaves in the Palmatum Group are most typical of the wild species. The leaf lobes are more divided, nearly to the leaf base.
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- I also have more rare varieties. These leaves are deeply divided, but each lobe is also dissected, giving them a lacy effect. These are from the Dissectum Group.
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- Japanese maple forms can be weeping, rounded, dwarf, mounding, upright, or cascading.
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- Japanese maples typically grow about one-foot per year for the first 50-years, but they can live to be more than a hundred.
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- Any heavy pruning should be done in late winter before leaf buds begin to open. Cut out scraggly interior twigs and branches, but leave the structural branches alone. Small, corrective cuts can be made any time of year. If I can, I like to prune and groom these Japanese maples myself.
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- Japanese maple trees are particularly suitable for borders and ornamental paths because their root systems are compact and not invasive. Through this woodland grove, they line both sides of the carriage road.
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- Young trees should be kept moist to prevent their shallow root structures from drying out and weakening, particularly during the hot summer months.
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- These trees do best in hardiness zones 5 through 8. If you are not familiar with these zones, the United States is divided into hardiness zones based on each region’s weather patterns. There are 13 hardiness zones across the country. The lower the number, the colder the winter. My farm is in zone 6b.
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- They can withstand very cold temperatures, but in summer, water deeply during dry spells and cut back on the amount of water in late summer to intensify the autumn color.
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- As young trees grow, their colors become even more vibrant. I love seeing how they develop through the seasons – many have such interesting growth habits.
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- With the right conditions, the fall colors of the Japanese maple may last for several weeks. Unfortunately, as it gets colder, the colors begin to dull. We are expecting lower temperatures this week.
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- The best location is a sunny spot with afternoon shade. Red and variegated leaves need relief from hot afternoon sun in summer but need the light to attain full color.
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- When growing in containers in colder zones, allow the plants to go fully dormant outside and then bring them into an unheated garage or other sheltered, cool area. In warmer zones, place them in a shaded location where they can be protected from drying winds.
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- I purposely planted my Japanese maples beneath larger trees. The varying heights of these trees also add a nice texture to the grove. I love this grove and continue to add more and more gorgeous Japanese maples to this collection. How are the Japanese maples doing where you live? Stop and enjoy their magnificent color this weekend.
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