What's under and/or around your Japanese Maple? Pictures please!
hovegator
17 years ago
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jakkom
17 years agoRelated Discussions
Ideas on what to plant around 'Crimson Queen' Japanese Maple
Comments (10)I had hosta, epimedium, korean bleeding hearts (dicentra exemia), hakonachloa aureola, Japanese painted fern, and a bunch of other stuff under my Bloodgood. It was very shady as the neighbor had big trees and there was a 5' fence just on the other side. I also put a goldfish pond underneath. Unfotunately, it caught that blight and begin to die a slow death...Here's what my garden looked like the last year I was there (2004). You can look at other items in this album, as there is a garden bed planted underneath a Norway maple and along the fence was shaded by the Norway and the neighbor's oak trees (all mature). Here is a link that might be useful: My bed under bloodgood...See Moregroundcover under bloodgood japanese maple tree
Comments (15)Your "landscapers" are sorely misinformed. Pretty much anything can grow under a Japanese maple, as their root system does not have the same aggressive, water-guzzling, nutrient-hogging character that other, native maples display. And a hot, dry summer will require regular periodic irrigation of any JM for it to survive and thrive - these are not drought tolerant trees. My only concern when underplanting a taller growing JM is that you select plants that will not need frequent division to maintain them, as excessive cultivation in the root zone or any significant disturbance can damage the delicate root system, sometimes to fatal results. Selecting something to contrast with the dark red foliage is a good idea, like bboy's suggestion of blue leaved hostas. You could add Japanese painted ferns as well to pick up the coloring of both the hostas and the tree foliage. I like the contrast of gold tones myself, so golden leaved hostas, Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa 'Aureola' or 'All Gold'), Campanula 'Dickson's Gold', spotted London Pride (Saxifraga x urbium 'Aureopunctata) or Lamium 'Anne Greenaway' or 'Aureum' and autumn fern are all suitable choices. Epimediums are an excellent choice as well, as is any moisture preferring, shade tolerant groundcover or part shade perennial that doesn't require frequent division. FWIW, my JM's are planted in the middle of mixed borders with an assortment of a wide variety of part shade shrubs, perennials/grasses and groundcovers surrounding them. So the notion that "nothing" will grow under them is very misplaced....See MoreWhat do you suggest under a flaming red Japanese Maple?
Comments (5)Depends upon your personal taste. I would not go for the black mondo as it is too dark/ brooding under a redleaved tree. Prefer something brighter, A greygreen would be subtle contrast, with an Geranium renardii (what is the soil like, by the way.), Some golden green cheerful contrast, with some medium, solid goldengreen Hosta (August moon), How important is an winter aspect, do Hellebores grow in Z5 . Chuck in some details, perhaps something usefull for you might pop up, Bye, Lin...See MoreRing-around the Japanese Maple...
Comments (17)Well, I don't have a ring around the Japanese maple, quite, but I have the one I call "Short Fat Fanny" which doesn't seen to get any taller, yet keeps getting broader. I even had to go out and shorten some of the very long spreading branches which were weighted to the ground in the heavy rains here this week. I do not "tip" prune. There just happen to be 5 hosta sheltered beneath that particular Jap. maple....See Morehovegator
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17 years agoisabella__MA
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17 years agoisabella__MA
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5 years agogardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
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5 years ago
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