Which JM for Louisiana zone 8b?

Please help! Which maples will perform well in my hot, humid zone? Are there any that will take afternoon sun here? I do have a couple of areas that get filtered light with a only a couple of hours of more intense sun. I have several other planting areas that are shaded under large pecan trees (very bright filtered light all day). Any response will be much appreciated! I have been longingly looking at them online, but I don't want to buy one and watch it wither in the heat. I would love to try several, maybe with height and color variances....if any can tolerate Louisiana.

Thanks!
Brandy

Red, green, what size, upright, bushy, weeping, leaf shape? Boy do you have a lot of good choices. If you pick what you would like a tree to look like then it's a very good start.

Is it windy? That can be a problem. Probably not a problem under a pecan tree although root competition may be.

All of my trees make it through several weeks of 100 degree weather without a problem and most are in full sun. I looked up your average temperatures over a year and you are quite temperate actually although the humidity is high.

Doss - I tried Tamukeyama, but she is suffering greatly in her current location. Unfortunately, I bought it on a whim before doing my research, and I planted it where it gets hot midday sun. The delicate leaves burn up before they can completely unfurl. I would love to try several varieties, but only to about 15 ft. in height max. There are a few I just love, but am unsure if they would make it - Orangeola, Orange Dream, Tamukeyama, Hogyoku, Red Dragon, Sharp's Pygmy. I like many of the greens also, but I haven't learned the names yet. But really, I think they are all beautiful and I am willing to accept any that will flourish.

Thank you for your help!

Brandy

I think if you can shade them from noon on you will be ok ...except for orange dream it is pretty delicate and needs alot of shade IMHO. Putting them UNDER talll trees would not be as good as NEXT TO to IMHO for competiton problems as Doss mentioned and damage from falling nuts!!. But you most likely will get some leaf burn no matter what which is a problem for all of us ..David

This message was edited Sep 11, 2006 2:17 PM

Tamukeyama should do well in your region, even in the sun. It is supposed to be quite heat tolerant. How long has it been in the ground and what time of year did you transplant it? When you buy a maple, it needs to be brought into it's place gradually. It's called 'hardening' and is one of the most important parts of maple transplantiing. IMHO. as David would say. It's a beautiful tree.

I have, doing well in the sun:
Sango Kaku which may get taller than you'd like
Germaine's Gyration - a weeping 10 foot green tree
Suminagashi - a round topped tree that has many colors in it's leaves - beautiful spring colors
Crimson Queen - most of the red trees like more sun.
Villa Taranto I have in part shade but it is supposed to do well in full sun.

Here's the website of a local nursery that has a lot of cultivars and says what sort of sun they can take. It's local here to zone 9 so plants listed here should do well. They do care about their trees.
www.carlmontnursery.com

Here's a photo of a new tree planted this season. It's supposed to take full sun and I assume that it will accomodate - it's putting out new growth as many of mine are this time of year. Go figure. It's name is Tsukushi gata. I'm not worried about it though. It is also a tree with fabulous colors in the spring.

Edited to say - remember that Japan is one of the most humid places this side of a jungle! It's an island after all.


This message was edited Sep 11, 2006 10:54 AM

What is the process you use for "hardening"? I am also going to search past threads for more information, also. I appreciate the information you have provided thus far!

Regards,
Brandy

Brandy, The process of 'hardening' is bringing the tree as gradually as possible from the place it's been growing in it's pot to it's place in the garden. Naturally if it's a tree in the ground you can't accomplish this. Many nursery trees are grown under shade cloth and putting them in full sun immediately can shock them. So take a month or even a couple of weeks to put the tree in a semi shaded situation. Many nurseries will do this for you if you ask, especially if they know JMs. This is especially important if you are planting a tree when it's not dormant. It's not so crucial if the tree is dormant already and it's a winter planting where the sun is low and the weather is cool.

Make sense?

JM's are hard to grow here, but not impossible. (I'm just north of Lake Ponchartrain from New Orleans). You may have trouble finding them around here, because most of the local places don't get them. I do have trouble with leaf burn, and I don't think it's so much the heat, it's lack of cool weather, and really high humidity. Cool weather lets them take a break, and they don't get much of a break here. I actually have more luck with them in bonsai pots than I do in the ground. They need really good drainage, and lots of Louisiana soil is clay, and makes a nice little bowl for them to sit in and rot. Good luck, though, and if you have the patience, I'm sure you'll find some that will work out for you. Keep us posted.