Jap. Maples don't have any more of a vulnerability to pest than any other tree. If you will be planting it in a full sun location that defiantly needs to be kept in mind as most japanese maples do not fare well in full sun exposure. That being said Fire glow and blood good are great candidates for full sun, Fire Glow is more showy than Bloodgood and better in my opinion. Emperor again needs partial shade during the hottest period of the day and will not be suitable for full sun. As for how large they will get, that will be the least troublesome issue as you can keep them to just about any size and height that you desire through yearly pruning. That being said I would still give them adequate space from a wall to give them good light and air circulation as well as keeping in mid the aspect of aesthetical appeal. Since I don't know your exact predicament of the planting location in question I cant say exactly how far it should be placed from the house wall. If you would like I can send you a few online Japanese Maple nursery sites where you can browse through there inventory and look for some Full sun tolerant verities that you might like. Just send me a personal message so i will be notified through my email since I don't frequent this site too much as of lately. Hope this helps. -Mike

Having searched for this exact question (is emperor I or bloodgood better?) you will come up with a lot of opinions, but no definite answer. Emperor I is hailed as an improved Bloodgood with better heat tolerance and leaf color retention, however this seems to have never been definitively proven. The major difference appears to be the later leaf emergence on Emperor I in the spring, so it is probably better in areas in which there is a risk for a late frost. Almost all Japanese maples will develop a bit a leaf burn in the summer in warm climates when they are in full sun. My bloodgoods always develop a bit of leaf burn, however it is not very noticeable except when up close. My fireglow gets virtually no sunburn at all, which is actually quite amazing for a Japanese maple. That being said it is about 15 years old, compared to the bloodgoods which are probably only 10 years old. I agree with many of the cultivars on the list above and have: Shishigashira, Mikawa yatsubusa, sango kaku, butterfly, seiryu and regular green palmatum maples. These are all very sun/heat tolerant, but will all develop a bit of leaf burn by the end of the summer. Hope this helps. -Brett

I live in Dallas and can offer my firsthand experience with Japanese maples in Texas for what its worth. Bloodgood take the sun as well as any red upright. (And I'd plan on something more along the lines of 20ft. at maturity not 15ft.) Afternoon shade and proper watering will be the key to success. Japanese maples do well in Texas with either dappled sun all day long or morning sun with afternoon shade. I don't know that Emperor is any more/less sun tolerant than Bloodgood but it is more heat tolerant holding its red color longer into the summer. Another one you might consider is Fireglow. Again, it is not any more sun tolerant than the others but it will hold its red color better than Bloodgood or Emperor. Fireglow is a smaller tree though, about 12ft. at maturity. I don't agree with the comment above about going to with a larger specimen because it'll weather the summers better. My experience in Texas has been to start with younger plants so they get used to Texas climate from the beginning. Certainly give it a shot, but your plan of starting saplings in Philly and relocating them to Houston after a couple of years may not prove successful. The climate change may do them in especially if you move them during the summer. I'd keep them in pots for a year or two when you get back to Houston. That way you can better control their transition to the new climate. Good luck.

The shantung maple, acer truncatum, might be a good pick. Its much tougher than any acer palmatum cultivar in southern heat. If you really want a palmatum Ive been told orangeola is good for dissectums, probably better than crimson queen. fireglow is a good small upright. Maybe bloodgood. The plain green species tree is reccomended often here (south central texas) and I think its tougher than most cultiated varities. If you're not attached to acer, think about a chinese pistach. Very tough, good red fall color. Bigger and faster than just about any acer palmatum. but lacks that sophistication. Grandidentatum (bigtooth maple) is a texas native so can take the heat, but towers above any palmatum (up to 50 ft). I have a bigtooth and a pistach and my climate is hotter and drier than yours. The shantung is a "Texas Superstar" which means some aggie thinks its really great for our climate. But then again,,,,,I hate aggies.