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Solid zone 5b Japanese maples?

16 years ago

I would like to know what japanese maples are sure safe bets to plant in zone 5b other than bloodgoods/most common JM's. I have sun and shade/protected areas in my landscape. Thanks from a new collector.

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Comments (4)

esamart
16 years ago
In by garden only A. palmatum which has not got any damage when -28 Celsius (~-23F) is Osakazuki. Neither A. japonicum Aconitifolium got any damage. I have read some A. triflorums are fine up to -40C (-40F) and that both A. sieboldii and A. pseudosieboldianum are hardier than palmatums. My Blodgood lost all which was above the snow but it got some bright February sun too and it broke the bark on south side which bropably was deadly.

Even on plain palmatums some thinnest autumn grown twigs die but they grow so fast that their winter preparation is not finished yet started when first freezes gome. That is problem with many Asian Maples in Finland where I live above 60 decrees latitude.

I get some autumn colors only on Osakazuki, Aconitifolium and one no name green dissectum and triflorum and all of them are hardiest. First time this fall I try to force some of my maples to prepare better. I have installed sheet of plastic on the ground around the trunk. This should reduce the water intake which is one factor of autumn colors ie winter hardiness.
ezochi
16 years ago
Almost any of them are okay. That's my conclusion. After much discussion here and experimentation with Acer Palmatums and Acer Japonicums in my yard the past couple of years it seems that the proof is in the planting which after last year's cold, icy conditions did not affect any except by way of being reduced by a desperate rabbit who could not get to their ususal forage because the ground was frozen for three weeks.

You can follow many of the discussions we've already had on this topic, but anything I've planted in northern Illinois which does get zone 5a temps at times (but coldest lately -15 degrees) has not been affected.

One guy in Chicago south of here, with the handle Dansgarden, pretty much has planted all sorts of less common cultivars too numerous to list here (five years running). My list so far (much less time than his trees) not including the more common ones: AP Nuresagi, AJ Aconitifolium, AP Ki-Hachijo, AP Red Emperor, AP Crimson Queen, AP Hogyoku, AP Red Dragon, AP Seiryu, AS Aureum. AP Villa Taranto survived the cold but not the predators. (By the way, an update on the other trees reduced by rabbits--except for the smallest ones they all came back with new growth and surprisingly are nearly as full as before).

Actually, this year's unusual late frost in April following a warm March in the south killed off many trees, but up here the colder conditions in March and April actually did not affect the trees. Almost anyone will tell you that knows these trees that a late frost after the leaves come out in Spring can be the most destructive to these trees as many found out first hand this year.

Other than that I think the burden of proof is now on the other foot: that is instead of saying which trees (here I'm only including Japanese Maples) are okay in zone 5, it should now be which trees are not good in zone 5. I think the only one I've heard not good in zone 5 is the AP Sango kaku, sensistive to the cold winds) and perhaps AP Katsura due to early leafing).
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"Full sun is the way to go!" That may be the consensus here for whatever reason but full sun is NOT the way to go and virtually every single Japanese maple specialty nursery and JM authority will clearly indicate that afternoon shade or partial shade is a preferred location for any JM variety. Here are just a few excerpts from the websites or text articles of some of the most well recognized growers of JM's....... Provide morning sun and afternoon shade - Mendocino Maples Morning sun and afternoon shade are ideal for Japanese Maple trees. Filtered sunlight is best. - Southern Living Japanese maples will grow best in a sheltered position. Red and purple leaved cultivars need some sun to develop fully their dark hues. Variegated Japanese maples need partial shade to prevent the afternoon sun from scorching the foliage. Green-leaved forms tolerate full sun, but are best in dappled shade as very bright conditions can sometimes cause scorch. - Royal Horticultural Society I will make this straight-forward statement here, that you will also see on many Japanese maple related sites. The best possible setting for any Japanese maple is: MORNING SUN AND AFTERNOON SHADE or ALL DAY LIGHTLY FILTERED SUN. Even plants that do okay in full sun or a lot of shade will benefit from this placement no matter where you live (the only exception are a very few extremely sun sensitive cultivars that should be in deep shade). They will generally have less leaf burn and better color throughout the growing season in this preferred placement. - Davidsan's Maples The Japanese refer to the maples as the ‘little girls’ and the pines as the ’fathers’. In their native habitat the pines provide protection from the intense sun and wind. Though most of the trees will do well in full sun in a mild climate where temperatures are seldom above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, the heavily variegated trees will typically burn even in milder climates if exposed to afternoon sun. All of the trees will grow well in partial shade or the dappled light in the under story of a large tree. - Essence of the Tree Even though 'Glowing Embers', 'Trompenburg', 'Emperor I', and many of our other cultivars do well in full sun, it is recommended that you plant your maple in a place that does not receive direct sunlight after 12 noon, especially if your summers have temperatures reaching above 100 degrees more than five days each year. - Pacific Coast Maples Ideally, provide dappled shade; if too much the plants grow slowly and the purple types become more green; too little and they may literally cook in the summer sun. - Michael Dirr Protection from late afternoon and evening sun will reduce leaf scorch, sun scald and reduce the amount of watering necessary to keep the soil cool and moist. Also plants under stress are more likely to develop diseases and insect damage. Having a property with large existing shade trees to plant your Japanese maple under makes a perfect environment. Such filtered or dappled shade is ideal for Japanese maples. - Japanese Maples online Of course you can plant your tree wherever you like but making the assumption that full sun is the best or preferred siting is far from accurate and could lead to some unfortunate consequences depending on where you are located. That's one of the problems with these online forums......you can get a lot of anecdotal advice from hobby gardeners that really may have little to no practical application.
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myersphcf
16 years ago
I agree everything EZ said is true... although the caviat must be that you should expect some winter die back if the weather is cold enough...and many JM's are prone to fall burst of energy which is a hazard to the tree... I think the idea of limiting water in fall is a good one but that is not always possible with rainy falls ;>). with that caviat of potential die back ...and some using some sense to not plant them in an open prairie ( a protected area) most will grow in zone 5 ... but as EZ said do remember this past 50 year hot spell and then 10 that freeze really decimated JM's of anyone from lets say the south parts of 5b/ north parts of 6a and below. As well as some micro climate folks.It was a bizzaro experience where the "safe" JM areas were hurt and the borderline areas spared...it could be reversed in the future and in fact probably more likely to happen up there...then all bets are off ... unless you are like me and have started containerizing many of my newer trees out of paranoia. David
myersphcf
16 years ago
In my above post it should have said 10 DAY freeze...but that not all as the the game show guys say ...we then had 2-3" of heavy rain sitting on top of solidly frozen earth for several days so any tree that wasn't bark damaged on limbs was root and /or trunk damaged so whatever re-leafed out was DOOMED. It was for this area a triumvirate of distruction that wreaked havok on many but the hardiest of cultivars ... David

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