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Fireglow Japanese Maple or other for colder zones

5 years ago

We often get down to -15 F, even -20 F occasionally. Can Fireglow survive that? The site would be somewhat protected from the coldest NW winds... Am I better off with Bloodgood or Emperor One? Other red varieties?

Thanks!

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

5 years ago

Those lows equate to a USDA zone 5 and are considered pretty much the bottom range of winter cold tolerance for JM's. As long as they are planted in well drained soil and out of direct wind, the greatest threat to Japanese maples in borderline locations in winter is sun scald and late spring freezes that can occur when the trees are budding out. Emperor 1 is considered superior for colder climates as it leafs out several weeks later than other cultivars so typically avoids damage. Another reputedly very cold hardy selection is 'Robinson's Red'.

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Comments (8)

splaker
Original Author
5 years ago
bloodgood seems to be the go to here (i think they are bloodgood). That's what they sell at the box stores. But others are sold too... thanks for the tips
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Alot depends on what it really looks like is it just not as red or is it green ???and yes sun heat etc can make a differnce in its color...my E1 in full sun this summer is almost totally green while another one in the shade is red ...my fireglow is red to red/bronze in mostly full sun some later afternoon shade it got alot of leaf burn this year and is definitly NOT currently "glowing" but looks nice but the 'green E1 ( which was bright red as was the fireglow in the spring ...the E1 has just a bit of leaf tip burn. So YES location and weather conditions can make a big differnce ...If it is a reputable nursery your prob. allright but it could also be mislabed ..you might return it and buy one in spring when it should definitly should have that fireglow "glow" even if in partial shade IMHO ..David
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splaker
Original Author
5 years ago
This looks like an interesting alternative: Acer pseudosieboldianum var. Takesimense
Mens Tortuosa(5b Omaha, NE)
5 years ago
Is your heart set on a red leaf variety? There are numerous Japanese maples of other species than acer palmatum that will do much better in Zone 4, but very few of them have red leaves. 'First flame' is a new acer pseudosieboldianum hybrid on the market that all the JM junkies on Facebook are raving about. It leafs out a beautiful salmon red in the spring, then turns green for summer, with new growth coming in red. 'North wind' is a popular green leafed variety with outstanding orange to red fall color. If you must have red summer color, acer shirasawanum 'Red dawn' is one to look at.
splaker thanked Mens Tortuosa(5b Omaha, NE)
splaker
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Is the North Wind a hybrid with a Korean maple? I saw it in various searches.. a bit harder to find.. Will consider it.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
5 years ago
It is important to remember that the Canadian hardiness zones are generally stated as one zone lower than the USDA zones. So the OP's zone 4 is really equivalent to our zone 5. And that should accommodate most Acer palmatum ctvs.
splaker thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
splaker
Original Author
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
That is an important ommission on my part. I don't think most of you realize that we have these differing zones. It's silly that it's not the same. So I am in Canadian Zone 5a/4b (we are on the borderline of those zones). This is your zone 6a/5b
Mens Tortuosa(5b Omaha, NE)
5 years ago
That being the case, the answer to your original question is yes, Fireglow can survive. From what I've read, it is just as cold hardy as Bloodgood. I planted a quite large one here in U.S. zone 5B last September. We just had a nasty winter with temps below -15 F and it survived. It did have a good amount of branch dieback, but I mostly attribute that to the fact that it was newly planted and I had to severely prune the roots when I did plant it.
splaker thanked Mens Tortuosa(5b Omaha, NE)

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