Your problem was probably keeping it inside for the winter as maples require a certain period of dormancy for them to survive. In texas the colder it gets during the winter would be better for the tree as they prefer extended periods of 30 or so degree weather. The drainage issue is very important as JMs will get root rot easily if planted too deep or in wet soil. If you don't do it now you will have to dig it up soon and get it above the surface of the clay. It is actually best to practically place the tree on top of the clay (without digging into it more than a few inches) and filling topsoil around it mounding to the side of the root ball. You must also be careful not to allow any soil or mulch to contact the trunk to prevent girdling. I have to be honest things don't look good. But keep your fingers crossed, it might make it.

Fortunately, my Emperor was growing in a pot, so I moved it into the garage for a few days during the hard freeze. It didn't get as cold in NC as Midwest, but we still had a couple nights where the low got down to about 27 or so. My Emperor was just starting to leaf out, so it probably would have been damaged. Several of my dissectums that were planted in the ground (Garnet, Crimson Queen, Red Dragon and Viridis) had minor leaf burn from the freeze but nothing major. Red Dragon seens to have suffered the most burn, but that was probably due to its location more than the variety. It was in a more exposed location and the winds were very persistent during the cold snap. My A. japonicum Acontifolium was just starting to leaf out and at first appeared to have a lot of damage. The leaves all appeared to be hanging limp after the freeze. However, it has bounced back and seems to be fine now -- except that the deer keep nibbling on it for some reason. It's my only JM that the deer have ever bothered. I had about a dozen JMs in containers that I moved into the garage during the freeze, and I probably would have had a lot more damage if I hadn't done so.

My experience seems to verify this too. However, mine is a Red Emperor not Emperor 1 so I don't know if these are the same cultivars. (Vertrees book on Japanese Maples seems to list them as the same cultivar). This year my Red Emperor also leafed out at least a week and a half earlier than my Bloodgoods, so I don't know how it is supposed to be better for us northern gardeners. One comment on the hardiness of Acer Palmatum. They are perfectly hardy for our zone. I too live in the Chicagoland area and not one has died exclusively due to cold weather, but of course this could do more with the changes in our climate, and the fact that the area due to Lake Michigan and the concrete of the city (!) maybe warmer than the areas further west. The example of climate change can be readily appreciated by comparing a zone map from the '60's to the recently updated (2006) map. Arguably we are now in zone 6a, probably the best zone for these plants. See links on Dan's garden which I can't recall off hand. He has grown and is growing many different cultivars in the Chicago area. The bad winter we had of a month of near zero, minus five to fifteen degree weather where ice and snow were on the ground for a month did not affect the roots of my trees(I had a problem with rabbits which out of desperation chewed off branches and reduced many small two to three year olds to sticks--that's another issue). However, I'm pleased to report that most of these sticks are now flourishing. In fact, I'm surprised at how well they recovered with new branchlets growing in all directions. The following is a list of cultivars that made it through fine for the winter besides the two cultivars mentioned and the parent cultivar: Acer Palmatum 'Red Dragon' (2) Acer Japonicum 'Aconitifolium' Acer Palmatum 'Seiryu' Acer Shirasawanum 'Aureum' Acer Palmatum 'Nuresagi' Acer Palmatum 'Ukon' (reduced to a tiny stick but still alive) Acer Palmatum 'Hogyoku' My AP 'Crimson Queen' has been fine now four years. The following didn't make it,and I don't know if its due to cold or rabbits or both: Acer Palmatum 'Villa Taranto' (it was a small plant to begin with); The following was due to my own error or inexperience: Acer Palmatum 'Chishio Improved' (I was too hasty in taking it out after it was reduced to a stick) I should've waited a bit to let it leaf out; Interestingly, it took the Acers in front of my house that get less sunshine longer to leaf out--by two weeks--than from areas that see at least four hours of sun in the backyard. This delay actually helped during that cold snap in April. This winter taught me a valuable lesson not ot be hasty in thinking that a plant didn't make it. Because the ones in front except for the Hogyoku and a parent looked pitiful but they were fine and now look very nice now. The ones reduced to sticks did fine too. They shot up new growth and are thriving. So much so that I think aggressive pruning in the winter isn't such a bad idea for correcting the shape of larger plants. In this zone you can grow a lot more cultivars than just the two on the thread.

Grisuem and Bloodgood in my zone in sun do fine once established. Bloodgood may leaf scorch in the first year or two, but once its established and if on an irrigation system - it generally won't scorch. It will however turn a bit more green/bronze but not quite scorched. This particular location has afternoon sun but almost no sun in the morning as the house shades it. The preference for these two would be morning sun, but I do know that they can handle afternoon sun if watered well. Eventhough they are both very different in looks, I'm ok with either in that location. More interested in trying to get to about 20+' in height in some amount of time. I'd really like to put a beech purporea tri-color there, but that definitely won't take the full sun in my zone and that probably grows just as slow. I'm curious as to how fast Griseum and Bloodgood grows if pruned for vertical growth rather just let to grow wide. I have a griseum that was planted last year and it put on close to 2ft (from 6 t 8ft) and caliper went from 1.5 to 2.5in. It was kind of shocking to me as I was figuring 6in to 1ft at most and minimal caliper growth. I don't know how long it will sustain this type of growth, but thicker caliper is usually a very good sign in trees. Pruning for vertical growth seems to help a lot of trees grow vertical (especially bloodgood, crape myrtles, prunus species, etc ). I know if you let Bloodgood has its way, it'll be 6ft in 5 years, but if you stake and prune it to go vertical, it can easily reach 12ft in 5 years. the question is what does it look like after 12ft ? Too many bloodgoods(and griseum) don't have vertical leaders. . So, if anybody has any data on how fast(or slow) their bloodgood or griseum, it would be greatly appreciated.