Describe the intended location. Can you provide some temporary shade if they are going to be in hot afternoon sun? I think you can still plant such young trees, as long as you keep them watered. Josh

If it's true that Jap maple doesn't do well in sun there, you must comply. If you doubt that the designer is right, take a cruise around town and observe what Jap maples you can find. What kind of light conditions do they have? You can't give plants conditions they don't like and then expect to like the plant when it doesn't perform well.

If grown under cover may need to wait until frosts are over, be shaded at first. Prop up a piece of plywood or other shade source on the south side of each, so that existing foliage is in a shadow. Use pieces just tall enough that plant is shaded for now, but can make new growth up into the light from behind the wood. Be sure that boards are held in place well enough that they cannot fall onto the trees and flatten them.

I have several different varieties of Acer japonicum and Acer shirasawanum that some would refer to as Full Moon Maples. I will take some pictures of individual leaves this weekend and post them on the gallery forum for you to see. They can be quite different. As was mentioned above one has to know the cultivar name to have any good idea of what tree they are looking at. It all can be very confusing at times especially when it is a common name someone is using. Unfortunately some trees have the wrong cultivar names on them also. Keep checking back on the gallery until I get them posted. All of these trees have had a awsome spring and look great. Kent