My beautiful Japanese Maple

[Nancy]

This time of year, most trees are looking bare and most of the beautiful leaf colors of Fall have turned brown, but our old Japanese Maple is spectacular and seems to fluoresce in the sun. It's been there for perhaps 40 years, and we have many seedlings each year.

 

[Granbonny]

I had to drop off some things at my son's house a few hours ago. He has 3 Japanese Maples coming down his driveway. They were beautiful RED..stood out from all the other trees. We still have many colors. the best Fall Leaves in many years. ..however, the wind is blowing and calling for a freeze Friday night. Probably the last weekend.. for such a color show . Bonnie

 

[RandyL]

That tree is beautiful Nancy.

 

[PJmomrunner]

It is gorgeous, Nancy. My son was just remarking how beautiful our next door neighbor's is this morning. (If it doesn't look terribly brilliant, it's because I ran outside to take a picture of it and it was snowing!)

 

[Nancy]

Cute avatar and nice Japanese Maple too.

 

[Mary]

It's a beautiful tree, Nancy, and if I knew we could plant one that would live, I would have one planted Right Now!
We had a paper birch for more than 20 years in our front yard, but it sucumbed to some type of borer last year. We've planted two different trees in the same spot, but neither has lived.
I'm thinking of trying a river birch, but I would prefer a Japanese Maple.
I'm just scared to take a chance, because they're not inexpensive trees.
But after seeing yours, maybe I will!

 

[AlonnolA]

We have a Japanese Maple right next to our house too. It also makes lots of seedlings each year, and I'm trying to raise one to put in front of the house. I'm going to try to keep it like a shrub, sort of Bonsai-like. Do you think it's possible?

 

[Nancy]

Oh sure, just keep trimming it to the shape you want. Our old one has multiple base branches. I have raised others around the house that have a single trunk. That tree in the picture is at least 40 years old and still not much taller than 25' or so.

They are slow growing, maybe 6-12" per year. That allows you to do a lot of things with it.

 

[Phyllis]

We have a Japanese Maple right next to our house too. It also makes lots of seedlings each year, and I'm trying to raise one to put in front of the house. I'm going to try to keep it like a shrub, sort of Bonsai-like. Do you think it's possible?

Our neighbors have two in front of their house and they have them professionally trimmed every 5 years or so and keep them no taller than about 8'- they are beautiful!

 

[Susan BAV]

Lovely color; lovely tree, Nancy. We have an ornamental red plum right out the window of our office here where I'm typing and the new leaves have a similar vibrant color in the springtime after the pink blooms have gone. But our local liquid amber trees (with the round prickly cone-like pods -- and also in the maple family) fade their green glory out to a brilliant red in the autumn also. They're both hardy trees and we had a few liquid ambers at our last house and their little seedlings came up everywhere. I gave them to friends. I love trees.

Rather appropriate to be a tree-hugger from California!