I have a Japanese red that has suddenly turned green. We rescued the tree from a big patch of large rhododendrons (it’s believed to be a “child” of a 27 year old tree next door and is about 8-9 ft tall, no idea of age.) I planted it in the corner of my specimen bamboo garden, isolated by a bottomless old trash can to keep out the bamboo. It is watered using a soaker hose buried under 3” of shredded/ground pine which also waters the bamboo. It was doing great until I fertilized using some Peters soluble mix using an injection system and the soaker hose. Is the fertilizer changing the color? Anything I can do or should I just leave it alone? We are in Hendersonville, NC. Tom B

JJ I have the following to suggest: A. p. 'Beni otake' Otherwise known as 'Big Red Bamboo', this tree is treasured for its deep red, strap leaves. Spectacular spring color holds through summer and turns crimson-orange in fall. This is a vigorous tree providing good texture variation and rich color. 10' A.p. 'Cindy' 9-12' high. A new variety that is a medium sized tree. Large maroon leaves hold color well in the hot summer months. Color also holds well in deep shade. Moderate growing rate. Upright, rounded form. Fall color is crimson. A.p. 'Fireglow' This selection retains red all season while the actual tones of red do change. Spring leaves emerge in an array of bright rose colors then darken. Backlit in summer, the leaves flicker like campfire flames on a breezy evening. Fall brings on scarlet. Summer heat does not tend to burn 'Fireglow". It is an excellent choice for an upright red that does not get overly tall. A.p. 'Margaret Bee' An improvement on "Bloodgood" leaves are larger and richer in color. The dark purple color stay well in the hot summer sun. Does not tend to get leaf scorch like "Bloodgood". Crimson fall color. Creates an upright tree that reaches 13-20 ft at maturity. A.p. 'Moonfire' "Opalescent" is how the large almost black-red leaves of this strong upright- growing (12-15') tree have been described and they keep this deep color until they turn a bright crimosn in fall. A.p. 'Suminagashi' Reaching up and out, the branches form a vigorous, finely shaped tree. Deeply divided and deeply colored in a long lasting red, the large leaves add a beautiful contrast of color and texture to other specimens in your garden. Maroon turns crimson in autumn. 12' A.p. 'Trompenburg' It's something over 15'.Spring color is a fairly bright red, which in summer becomes a glossy black- or purple-red, a color which it holds well during the heat of summer. The most distinctive character of the cultivar is the rolled leaf lobes, which form long, narrow half-cylilnders, giving the leaf the appearance of a (you guessed it) dragon's paw. Fall color is crimson. Juvenile leaves may not show the rolled lobe effect for awhile. A.p. 'Tsukushigata' Bright sour-apple green veins and samaras (seeds) contrast with rich burgundy red leaves in one of those magical color combinations found only in nature. Fall color is purple-red with orange highlights. 15' A.p. 'Twombly's Red Sentinel' Bright sour-apple green veins and samaras (seeds) contrast with rich burgundy red leaves in one of those magical color combinations found only in nature. Fall color is purple-red with orange highlights. 10' A.p. 'Yezo nishiki' Large leaves display glorious colors through out the year. The reds are brighter and a touch of orange is stirred into fall's scarlet. This is a vigorous, sturdy, upright tree with good branching. It grows taller than wide to 15' Might I also suggest the addition of a second, smaller maple to contrast the first? A small green-dissected-leaf JM is a great foil for the red leaves of the main tree. The dissectum will have a completely different look and shape than the upright, and the fall colors of both will be enhanced. For a SMALL green dissectum I would suggest: A.p.d. 'Lemon Lime Lace' Beautiful pastel yellow and lime green new leaves in the spring, holding the contrasting colors all summer as young leaves emerge. The habit is weeping and it makes a very round mound if left unpruned and unstaked. Fall color is orange. 6' or A.p.d. 'Ellen' Growing 3 1/2 ft high in 10 years this desirable dissectum emerges in the spring with yellow green leaves and becomes a fresh green in the summer. Yellow fall color. or A.p.d. 'Flavascens' Unique in color. Yellow-green in spring and early summer. Becomes darker green as summer goes on. Fall color is spectacular with golden yellow and orange tones. All of these trees are available by mail order from Topiary Gardens in New York. www.topiary-gardens.com. Diana is wonderful to work with... Regards, K4

'Bloodgood' is the standard by which all other red leaved upright Japanese maples are measured :-) Dark crimson or even maroon-hued foliage is going to be pretty much standard for most red leaved cultivars (that reach the size you want) but exact coloring will depend somewhat on siting - more sun might lighten or green out the coloring, less sun might darken it. 'Emperor I' is another excellent choice. And you are correct, the cultivar 'Bloodgood' has become a bit watered down over the years, primarily due to its extreme popularity and a few less than highly disciplined growers. Some BG's are being sold that are even seed grown and are therefore NOT technically BG's at all! Make sure you are selecting from an experienced and reputable grower who is using quality grafting stock, not from a box store or other mass marketer.

Thank you! Thank you! I was so afraid that everybody was going to say "Absolutely NOT!" and I've REALLY been wanting a JM for a while now. I've looked at some picture of Twombly's Red Sentinel and while I like it, I'm not entirely crazy about it's non-traditional shape. I saw a Fireglow in person at a local nursery the other day and fell in love with it. I'm going to check out the other varieties you mentioned too. Really liked pictures I saw of the Okagami and Umegae. Also just noticed that the Umegae is the favorite mentioned here: http://www.davidsansjapanesemaples.com/featured-japanese-maples/favorite-japanese-maple/ I'm hoping to have the JM in the middle of the bed and then fill in the remaining areas with hostas, heucheras, hellebores, astible, ferns etc.