Can I Grow Japanese Maples in my zone?

I don't know much about these trees but I do love them. I live in zone 8b in Tx. and I'm wondering how they would do here. My soil test from Tx A&M says mildly acidic 6.2 I would love to grow some in my yard if possible. How tall do they get? Do they require a lot of special care? Could they be an understory tree? We have huge oak trees in our yard. I'll be glad to get any information.
Lin

Dancey,
Yes, they can probably grow in your yard but they are sensitive to wind so if you have hot texas winds you need to be careful which trees you pick. If you pot them you can keep some cultivars very small. There are also some good cultivars you can put in the ground that will stay small. Then there are those trees that can get 20-30 feet. I have heard people say that you can keep the larger trees small but haven't found that to be reasonable. Or else I'm just a bad pruner.

The only problems with oaks are oak root fungus and root competition. Maybe you don't have oak root fungus in Texas but I'd be careful if you do. I don't know how they would fare.

They don't need a lot of care if they are properly situated and get adequate but not overwhelming water. Different trees can take different sun, shade, wind situations.

There are so many trees to choose from, you should start with a spot you want to put one in and go from there. Do you have a photo?

Thank you Doss for your input. There is another discussion regarding Japanese Maples on another thread and from everything I've read I think I will give up the idea of having these trees. We do have hot winds here. They sound like a pretty finicky tree. I would hate to invest that much money and have one die.
Lin

Lin, if you really want a Japanese Maple and you have the room, a seedling maple (non-grafted) may do very well there. You can get them small for not too much money. I have four and I love every one. They can take a lot of abuse.

Thanks Doss! I hadn't thought of that. I do have plenty of room for them. I have already found some at a reasonable price and will order them for fall planting. ;)
Lin

I hope that you enjoy them. Just remember that they can vary tremendously in size.

I'll keep that in mind. ;)