Hello everyone,

I have never owned a Japanese maple and could use some assistance with selection. Thanks in advance for sharing your expertise!

I have a recessed corner where my house meets the attached garage. If possible, I would like to plant a dwarf Japanese maple in this location. The corner has southern and eastern exposure, but is protected on the north and west sides by the house and garage. It gets a few hours of morning sun and is shaded the rest of the day. It gets more sun in the winter of course, when the sun is lower in the southern sky. I live in mid-Michigan, zone 5. It's a rural area, but we have quite a few pines and mature trees to help break the wind.

Ideally...I would love to find a Japanese maple that will achieve a maximum height of 4-5', has red or reddish-green leaves year round, and has a narrower, rather than wider, growth habit. I don't really have a preference of whether it weeps or not, so long as it fits the space and can survive our winters! Also, if there is a variety that can easily be pruned to achieve this criteria, that is fine as well.

I do see a lot of dwarf and full-size Japanese maples growing in this area in front of homes, as business/office park landscaping, etc. I know there are cold-hardy varieties, I just need to find one to meet my needs!

Thanks so much.