Thanks everyone! I wanted them to match because I have placed them side by side to create a screen from my neighbors patio door. I have a Bloodgood next to my front door in a sheltered location. It thrives where it is. After our last winter, so many Japanese Maple trees suffered damage, not one but on this one! Soil was replaced many years ago, so it is in very deep, fertile soil. It puts on at least 2.5 feet a season! I have started a collection of them. So far I have, 2 Bloodgoods, an Emporer I, Azuma Marasaki, Waterfall, Crimson Queen, and a Tamukeyama.

Can you post photos? It's a little difficult to tell from your description just how severe the damage was and that will determine what your course of action should be going forward. Remedial pruning of a grossly mispruned J. maple is a tricky business.....they may never regain their former appearance. FWIW, depending on cultivar, $300 for a mature JM is very conservative :-) I've seen them go for as much as multiple thousands. And going forward, I'd make sure your dad was politely instructed NOT to undertake any more yard work without your express permission and direction.

I definitely agree that it needs water, and a few things to consider: 1) I planted a bloodgood that got hit by high winds -- a random event, but all the leaves looked like yours. This was back in June. The tree has replaced almost all of these with new leaves, so your tree will come back if it gets some water. 2) If your tree is in a windy spot, and it was wind that caused this, you may have to plant / create some kind of windblock 3) I have read that Japanese Maples can struggle with heat reflection, so if your tree is in full sun, all of those rocks under it are reflecting heat. So, if it is in full sun, it may be "cooking" from both sides. 4) In my experience, the best thing to do is leave the leaves as they are. The tree will take care of itself likely next spring and put on fresh leaves. 5) If you scratch the branches lightly with your fingernail, you will probably find that they are green where you scratch. This means your tree is not dead. If you scratch a branch and it is brown, that branch is dead / dying. 6) Finally, you want the original root ball to be consistently moist, but not wet. Don't arbitrarily water it everyday. Stick your finger in the root ball and see if it is at all dry -- if it is at all dry, then water. Overwatering is not good either and while it can be difficult to tell sometimes, you'll get the hang of it. Good luck

Michael, Please, please refrain from making comments which are so inaccurate!! I have planted, grown and sold hundreds of JM's over the years and as a consulting horticulturist, I am extremely familiar with Verticillium wilt. I have encountered it dozens of times. It can appear at any time of year and often, a failure to leaf out fully in spring is a clear sign. It also has almost nothing to do with excess water. It is a soil pathogen virtually omnipresent in soils, often staying dormant for decades before becoming activated by some sort of stressor - drought, root disturbance, late spring freezes, mechanical damage, etc. It can be slow, developing over a period of months limb by limb, or very fast, taking down an entire tree in a matter of days. It destroys the vascular system and an affected branch will NOT releaf the next spring! You will be very lucky if the tree is even alive next spring!!! it is virtually assured 100% fatality. So far your record here on GardenWeb is very poor. First day, 3 comments, ALL with inaccurate information you insist is correct. Please get your facts straight before commenting again!! ETA: Michael in all his numerous personas and aliases over the last few days has disappeared/closed his account(s) and deleted most of his comments. Considering that most were highly inaccurate and filled with misinformation, maybe that is not a bad thing. Apparently he/she/it was just trolling.