Japanese Maple 'Koto no ito'

Zone 7B, Petersburg, Virginia I bought two Koto no ito acers eight years ago in the fall at a big box store. They were bare and uniden...Read Moretified but clearly Japanese maples. And because they were bare and unidentified, they were marked down. The next spring I was able to identify them when their leaves came in. They have been living in pots since then, and have had no I'll effects from our occasional colder than average snaps. This spring I am going to plant one in an eastern exposure. It is a beautiful and graceful tree, appropriately called "Harp Strings".

I really highly recommend this tree. It is very 'wispy' and looks like it's moving when it's standing still while at the same time being...Read More sturdy. Mine is very protected from the wind but gets a fair amount of sun being unprotected from the south. The new leaves on young trees may not be as finely cut as the older leaves. These are not to be removed as they are not 'reversions' but just a sign of immaturity. It is the palest green of the thread leaf maples and it is a conversation stopper when people walk by it in the garden.

This semi-dwarf maple sits on the fence between being a member of the Palmatum Group or the Linearilobum Group, although most authorities...Read More put it into the Linearilobum Grouop. Certainly the leaf lobes are very narrow and elongate, although wider than most Linearilobum maples. The new leaves have a reddish cast but summer leaves are green. Fall colour is yellow. Plants slowly reach to 2 m or a bit better. It is suitable for a large rockery or containers.