Acer Palmatum (Japanese Maple)?

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Owlman22 San Diego, CA May 22, 2014

I live in Southern California in Zone 10a. I was considering planting some form of red-leaf Japanese Maple. In reading about them, however, I see that they do best in Zones up to about 8 and prefer morning or filtered sun or part shade. The spot where I want to have it grow is in our front yard, which is on the northwestern side of the yard, so gets morning shade, but late afternoon sun. I'm also looking for an upright tree that doesn't grow too tall, e.g., beyond about 15 feet. Oh yes, our soil tends toward the alkaline. I know I've seen that they prefer slightly acid soil conditions, so I assume I'll have to supplement them.

Our local Costco has a whole bunch of red-leaf Japanese Maple right now and I was thinking of buying one, but I don't know what variety they are selling--they just identify it as Acer Palmatum.

Any words of wisdom? I see them growing in our neighborhood fairly often, so I'm hopeful. I should mention that I also considered an ornamental plum tree for the same area, but my local garden store told me that they're particularly prone to infestation, and we have noted that a lot of them are really sparse looking in our area.

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Weerobin Saint Louis, MO(Zone 6a) May 23, 2014

I think you'll get best info from DG'ers from SoCal. But here's my 2 cents worth.

I'm a California native and still have lots of family there. None of my California kin are into gardening, so they often ask my advice. But the plants I know (and therefore often recommended) are suited for Midwest conditions and really weren't suitable for SoCal and didn't thrive. Includes a couple JM's. They're alive, but certainly not lush. But my relatives weren't tending to them super well, because they're not really gardeners, which of course is part of the problem. Unless you're a committed gardener, it's hard to keep a plant happy when it's not naturally suited for your environment. But I'll admit that I love trying lots of plants not normally found around here, so I understand the interest in growing plants out of their comfort zone. If you really want to have a beautiful JM, I'm sure DG'ers from Calif can give you tips about how to do just that. Whenever I visit SoCal, I'm always amazed at the great plants you guys can grow that we can't. It seems like it would be less hassle to stick with a plant that loves your climate rather than fight one that doesn't. Good luck!

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wha Pepperell, MA(Zone 6a) May 23, 2014

try one for costco - if it dies they will give you your money back - it is a no lose situation

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