Weeping Japanese Maple
Guide to Owning a Weeping Japanese Maple
From the Far East comes the weeping Japanese maple, and it is one of the most popular garden trees of them all. The weeping Japanese maple tree is known for its beautiful and fragrant foliage that blooms throughout the year and especially in the fall. With over 1000 beautiful varieties of maple trees to select from, the beginning-novice gardener can start off with a bang and cannot go wrong by selecting one of these varieties. All Japanese maple trees are beautiful and sturdy and a joy to grow in their own right, but only four varieties are ‘real’ weeping Japanese maple trees:
- Red Japanese Maple
- Japanese Blood-Good Maple
- Japanese Crimson Queen Maple
- Japanese Cut-Leaf Green Maple
The above-mentioned four varieties of weeping maple really explode in the summer months. As fall arrives, the maple leaves become explosively beautiful and vibrant in color, leading to the fact that the Japanese maple is referred to as the ‘fall foliage tree’. On average, the red Japanese maple varieties, can reach spectacular heights of 30 feet or maybe a little more, in height and stature. When decked out in full bloom, the maple tree has a spread of 15 feet. An interesting aspect of planting this type of maple is that full sunlight should be avoided since the intense heat of some summer afternoons, will literally fry the weeping Japanese maple.
The weeping Japanese maple is a fantastic garden tree to grow and enjoy. One of the most favorite varieties of weeping Japanese maple is the blood-good maple. After one season, a vibrant burgundy color with plenty of variations that range from blood-red to reddish- purple, the maple tree owner will see why this is the only tree for the yard or garden. The Japanese have long held the blood-good in high regard and even to the point that this tree has a religious significance in Japan. One of the most important elements and number one planting care tip for a Japanese red maple is that this tree cannot tolerate direct sunlight.
When growing a Japanese maple, it is important to understand that this is a water-loving tree and that direct-sunlight, is ‘not so much’ loved. Another great variety and very popular Japanese maple tree is the Japanese crimson queen maple. By being the smallest of all the Japanese trees, reaching a height of eight feet only, this diminutive beauty, is more of a collector’s item, than anything else.
When growing the Japanese crimson variety, avoiding direct sunlight is a requirement, and one that will have only one chance, at getting it right. When direct sunlight is applied to a Japanese maple, within a week, the leaves will start to withdrawal and all flowers would have already been seared-off. If the gardener will remember these two aspects of growing the weeping maple, direct sunlight avoidance and plenty of water, with the addition of love, the weeping Japanese maple will bring years of joyful expression and have all of the neighbors gawking.