Hi Kathy,

I live in Los Angeles, USDA zone 10-11, and maples do quite well over here without any real special attention other than the usual care regarding Japanese maples. I think the real difference between here and there is humidity. When we have good weather everything's fine, but when we get those hot, dry Santa Ana winds blowing in from the deserts during the summer months our maples get leaf scorch.

Being in Florida I think you'd have more of a problem with high humidity than anything else...that and the occasional hurricane. There are some cultivars that are more susceptible to mold and powdery mildew appearing on the leaves if left in a damp, shady spot with not much air cuirculation. Usually it's the ones that prefer some sun. Shindeshojo comes to mind. Mine was in a shady area of the nursery where I got it and it had some leaf mold. A friend's Shinny developed powdery mildew caused by a shady condition and underwatering stress.

I'm not discouraging you from these types of cultivars, if anything they'll do well in your area if planted in the proper location. Keep in mind Japanese maples sometimes need an adjustment period of about a year due to changes in environment, transplant or transportation stresses. A lot of times when a person is not sure about a spot they're intending to plant I tell them to leave the plant in the container for a few months in the spot to see how it does. If it doesn't do well you always have the option of easily moving it to another location rather than having to dig it up and causing more stress to the tree.

Hope this helps,

Layne