Japanese Maples are the crown jewels of the ornamental garden, providing striking architectural design, unique leaf shapes, and gorgeous color. Growing Japanese Maples can be a challenge in Utah, though, because of our arid climate, intense sun exposure, and often compacted, alkaline soil. Continue reading for our care practices with Japanese Maples in Utah for best results.
What are Japanese Maples?
The term Japanese Maple is often used as an catch-all that includes a number of closely related small Maple species native to Japan, China, Korea, and greater East Asia. Japanese Maples have been cultivated for many centuries across the world. Within each species are even further distinctions and hundreds of garden cultivars, offering a wide variety of unique leaf shapes, colors, and growth habits.
Japanese Maple, Palm-leaf
Acer palmatum
Classic garden maples with palm-shaped leaves. Bloodgood and Emperor I are the most iconic cultivars known to gardeners and feature striking burgundy coloring and an upright, multi-stem growth habit. There are hundreds of cultivars developed by breeders and collectors over many decades, with great variation in leaf shape, leaf color, tree size, and growth habit. Dozens of these varieties are regularly found in garden centers nowadays.
Popular Palm-leaf Japanese Maples: Bloodgood, Emperor I, Purple Ghost, Atropurpureum, Fireglow, Rhode Island Red, Twombly’s Red Sentinel, Coral Bark, Shishigashira, Mikawa Yatsubusa, Koto-no-ito, Ryusen, Shin Deshojo, Peve Starfish, Oshio-Beni, Sharp’s Pygmy, Pung kil
Japanese Maple, Lace-leaf
Acer palmatum var. dissectum
Considered a sub-species of A. palmatum, laceleaf maples feature stunning, finely dissected leaves that add grace and movement to the garden. Many available cultivars have a weeping, pendulous form and compact growth habits, making them excellent small garden specimens.
Popular Lace-leaf Japanese Maples: Crimson Queen, Tamukeyama, Red Dragon, Orangeola, Trompenburg, Viridis, Waterfall, Jeddeloh, Seiryu
Korean Maple
Acer pseudosieboldianum
Korean Maples are a related maple species with fan-shaped palmate leaves. These maples have better cold tolerance, and are often hybridized with Japanese Maples to create gorgeous hardy specimens. The cultivar Northern Glow and the Jack Frost Collection from Iseli Nursery are popular available varieties.
Fullmoon Maple
Acer japonicum/Acer shirasawanum
Fullmoon maple refers to two separate but related species that have large, fan-shaped leaves. These trees are generally larger and multi-stem, with gorgeous leaves and fall color that rival their Acer palmatum cousins. The cultivars Autumn Moon, Golden Moon, and Fern-leaf (aka Dancing Peacock) Full Moon are popular varieties.
Siebold’s Maple
Acer sieboldianum
A less common maple species occasionally found at the Nursery. Similar in appearance to other related species, and is often confused with them.
What are the ideal conditions for a Japanese Maple?
When selecting a site for a Japanese Maple, we recommend considering the extremes it may have to deal with.
Sun Tolerance of Japanese Maples
You’ll sometimes read online that Japanese Maples need full sun, but full sun in Utah, because of our high elevation and higher UV exposure is too intense for them. Due to their delicate leaves, most Japanese Maples require some shade and a break from the sun, especially in Utah. Too much sun and you’ll start to see leaves on your tree burn and turn crispy. Often, the best location for a Japanese Maple is somewhere that gets sun in the morning and shade or filtered light in the afternoon and evening.
Japanese Maples for Full Sun
Japanese Maples are often advertised as needing Full Sun (6+ Hours/Day). In cooler climates, this may be fine, but Full Sun in Utah is often too much for them. In too much intense sun, Japanese Maple leaves will scorch and shrivel, leading to an ugly appearance and may contribute to declining health. Some cultivars, including Bloodgood, Emperor 1, and Fireglow are touted as more sun-tolerant, though we still recommend partial sun sites in Utah. Though there are examples of Japanese Maples in full sun in Northern Utah, we always advise partial sun for optimal health and growth.
Soil Requirements for Japanese Maples
Japanese Maples like well-draining soils with low pH, acidic soils. Much of the Salt Lake Valley has clay soil, which tends to be dense and alkaline, or high pH. To accommodate Japanese Maples, we recommend using organic materials like compost or soil conditioners to help loosen soils around your tree and add nutrients back into the soil. To add even more nutrients to help your tree grow, regular fertilizing is recommended.
Water Requirements for Japanese Maples
Japanese Maples perform best with consistent, regular moisture, and are accustomed to more regular precipitation and humidity. They can struggle to in Utah’s dry climate, especially in hot, dry Summer months and through dry Winters. We recommend deep, regular watering to the drip edge of the root zone to encourage deep root establishment. This amounts to 1-2 waterings a week in Spring and Fall, 2-3 times per week in the height of the Summer, and at least once a month in the Winter.
Japanese Maples and Secondary Water in Utah
All of the species and varieties of Japanese Maples struggle with salty secondary water that comes from Utah Lake and other irrigation runoff sources. We advise against planting them if your only watering option is secondary water.
Japanese Maple Hardiness
Most Japanese Maples are cold hardy to Zone 5 (to -20 degrees F) and may suffer in some of Utah’s more high elevation or windy areas. There are some Maples, such as Korean or Hybrid Korean Maples, which are hardy to Zone 4 (to -30 degrees F) and would perform better in colder winter conditions.
Japanese Maple Alternatives for Full Sun
If you have ideal conditions for a Japanese Maple, you can plant poe
Tiger Eyes Cutleaf Staghorn Sumac
Rhus typhina ‘Bailtiger’
Height: 6’ | Spread: 6’
For a small, ornamental tree with vibrant color, Tiger Eye Sumac is a clear standout. Delicate cutleaf foliage emerges bright green in the Spring on spreading, upright branches, turning chartreuse for the summer before transforming into a dramatic display of red and orange hues in the Fall. Tiger Eyes can handle hot, sunny locations, as well as partial sun, making it a perfect alternative to the more delicate laceleaf Maples. And, it’s a fast grower, too, compared to the slower growing Japanese Maples.
Black Lace Elderberry
Sambucus nigra
Height: 6’-10’ | Spread: 6’-10’
If you’re looking for a delicate laceleaf look that can stand up to heat and sun, Black Lace Elderberry is the plant for you. Black, deeply dissected foliage densely covers tall, upright stems. Though Elderberries grow naturally bushy with a multi-stem habit, you can also prune them to have a more tree-like look. Plus, they produce large and showy pink flower clusters in the late Spring (that give way to berries if a pollinator is present).
Smoke Bush
Cotinus spp.
Sizes varies by variety
Smoke Bush, also called Smoke Tree, is a large shrub or small tree with red or gold leaves that features plumes of flowers that look like fluffy clouds or smoke. There are some varieties of Smoke Bush such as ‘Winecraft Black’ or ‘Lilla’ that are dwarf-sized, while others such as ‘Royal Purple’ can grow to be small trees (up to about 15’ tall).
