Acer, Japanese Maple 'Orange Dream'

It makes a nice focal point in the spring. Mine does well in an area of the yard where it gets around 4 hours of direct sunlight. For t...Read Morehe past few years, I have noticed that the leaf tips dry up a bit in the hot summer, but this year it should get less sun as the nearby trees keep getting bigger.

I have this planted where, in the middle of summer, the sun is on it until 1pm. That seems to be enough to burn the newest leaves each Ju...Read Morene. Am considering moving it, as the leaves are very pretty.

Acer Palmatum Orange Dream -- Orange Dream Japanese Maple - Photo shows spring color which demonstrates why it's named Orange Dream. The ...Read Morebright orange leaves emerge out of florescent pink buds, then the leaf color fades into a lemon color with orange shaded leaf margins. The leaves then slowly transition to a yellow green transitioning into a lime green by summer. Fall color is yellow. The bark on the trunk is a very unique green color, which contrast the spring color and it also adds great winter interest. Orange Dream will grow slowly into a 13’ upright, taller than wide tree, with dense floliage. If left un-pruned it will take on a narrow shrub like form. I like to prune out some of the dense foliage (removing any newly formed downward growing branches) in mid-summer to expose the green trunk and allow air and light into the center of the tree. Using this technique will keep the tree looking like a specimen tree rather than a dense shrub. My orange dream is grown in part shade. The roots remain shaded so it’s very drought tolerant. It can tolerate afternoon sun in northern Ohio, but the intense late July and early August sun may burn delicate newly formed leaves, but the mature foliage stands up to the sun quite well, so the burning is insignificant as the majority of the growing occurs in May and June before the sun gets intense. Introduced in the late 1980’s by Fratelli Gilardelli Nursery, Italy.

My Orange Dream leaves do not emerge as orange as some, even in 3/4 day of sun, but the spring color is a very beautiful yellow-green. I ...Read Morehad mine planted on the north side of the house where it received sun until about 3:00, and gave it plenty of water - for 3 years, but every summer the new growth would burn back. I don't recommend afternoon sun for this one in zone 7. It does make a lovely houseplant in a sunny window, and has a lovely, graceful shape.