Scientific Name
Acer palmatum ‘Japanese Maple’
Few tree species have inspired as much devotion, or perhaps obsession, as the Japanese maple. Evidence of that can be found in the more than 500 cultivars developed over centuries, primarily in Japan, with variations in leaf color, leaf shape and plant form. Unfortunately for gardeners in this region, the local climate is not especially favorable for many of the most coveted cultivars because of low winter temperatures, frequent temperature swings, low humidity and intense summer heat and sun.
Before about 30 years ago, planting a Japanese maple here would often have been considered unrealistic. However, as the climate warmed, particularly in urban areas, and as more people familiar with the species moved to the region, these trees became increasingly common. Even so, successfully growing a Japanese maple still requires careful site selection and a bit of luck to achieve the right exposure. Because the species is naturally an understory tree, many cultivars do not tolerate full sun well, especially those with lighter colored foliage. Cultivars with darker red-purple leaves generally handle sun exposure more successfully.
The Japanese maple growing here at Carroll Hall is believed to be the straight species, likely the result of the original cultivar having died back while the rootstock sprouted and replaced it. Original arboretum records describe it as a cultivar with red, dissected foliage, which it clearly no longer possesses. The green leaves have five pronounced lobes, occasionally seven, with palmate veins radiating from a common point at the base of the leaf. The twigs are also green. The seeds occur in paired samaras typical of maples, with the wings spreading apart at roughly a 90-degree angle. Trees of this species typically grow 15 to 25 feet tall with a similar spread.
Most Japanese maple cultivars encountered in this region have red to purple foliage, with one cultivar, ‘Bloodgood,’ being especially common because it is more cold hardy than many others. Another major group of cultivars features deeply dissected, lacy foliage, and these often remain cascading, shrub-sized mounds. Visitors who walk about 100 feet south of this tree can see a smaller dissected foliage Japanese maple growing near the building wall beside a rose bush.