Now I am not sure if this is even a Seiryu. The tag stated it was a Japanese maple Acer palamtum dissectum Viridis.

The leaves have a green color with red flaring at the boarder.
The nursery man knew what I was looking for in height , where I was placing this tree . When I saw this tree it was perfect . He said it was a newer variety. I was looking at the other varieties that were similar , but he said that those reach 15 feet . This one does not .
Any help out there !

Hi, your tree is not a seiryu, if it says it is a viridis it generally means any green dissectum maple. Anyway, it will get much bigger than what you have there and will shade over other plants and rub against the house. When people say it will get 6 feet tall that is an estimate in 10 years and might get even bigger than that given enough time. The spread will not be 4 feet as it is a weeping habit it tends to be at least as wide as tall and usually wider.

Any other spots for it?
You could keep more narrow by pruning it but I won't give advice in that area.

If you choose to rotate or move the plant wait until the winter when the leaves have dropped. I would not do much in attempt balance the plant, just make sure the little branch on the right can get some sun and it will fill out in the future.

Personally I think it will work in the spot if it is pruned aestheticly to remain a layered look instead of letting it grow into a big mound. But since the house is in the way it will be somewhat one sided so keep that in mind. The further you move it the better it will be.

seventowers, the following is a description of the two different cultivars

Acer palmatum 'Seiryu': A vigorous, green, upright dissectum with a vase shaped form. mature height 10-15 ft. by 8ft. wide. Sun/part shade. Spring growth bright green with redish tips. When in sun the leaves regain red margins in summer. Gold fall color: This cultivar is one that does not weep like others in the family

Acer palmatum 'Viridis' leaf color is green and the tips burn in hot sun. grows 7 - 12 feet tall needs to be planted in Part shade.

Ok here is a close up of the leaves . I called the grower today and asked about this tree. He said that the height can go to 8 feet . He said due to the way it is grafted/ where it is grafted allows for the ability to stay smaller.

The tree had 3 tags attached and all of them stated "Acer Palmatum dissectum Viridis" JAPANESE MAPLE Greenleaf.
After viewing the leaves let me know if you agree.

It seems to arch/weep and I think the upright appearance seems to be because of the way it was grown/pruned and trained. I would like to continue this style of growth .
Anyone know where I can read about how to do this?

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FYI:
One of my Seiryu's is over 10 feet high by over 14 feet wide.It needs more room than what I see unless you want to do regular pruning.

Koniferkid

I don't believe it is a seriyu . I have moved it further out from the house as well anyway. I am still waiting for the confirm when they view the close up of leaves .
Thanks

Does the tree get lots of sun? Today I saw a Viridis for sale at Sam's Warehouse club. All the leaves were green with no red or pink edges. they were potted and some of the thick trunks or branches had been pruned leaving thick stubs that could be seen amid nice leafed out growing branches.

the first picture above looks similar to the Viridis JMs at Sams, but my question is why does your second picture show red edged and tipped leaves? The Seriyu is reported to display the tips of the leaves regaining the red coloring when they are growing in the summer sun. I have not found any info that indicates Viridis leaves should still display red among the green leaf structure during the summer. I have read that the cultivar does display a breathtaking brilliant crimson in the fall, but other sites indicate the fall folliage will be yellow

The coloring in the leaves of your second photo look much prettier than the all green that I saw at Sam's today.

There are also details easily found with web searches about people who graft viridis for 6 feet heights that spread 6 feet, and also info about others who graft for taller ones that can get up to 30 foot tall. They mention that both types of grafting produces a weeping growth form.

It should be interesting to see how your tree matures.

you have a beautiful green dissectum that could fall into many variety names from Virids, Waterfall, Green Mist, Ao shidare, etc, etc. They all are so close that in this case it is not terribly important to sort it out.

It is the way it is because of how it was grafted and how it was trained with an upright leader. now that the leader has been allowed to bend and grow horizontally, the overall increases in height will be slow, mostly from arching branches. For the most part your tree will grow wider.

Just treat your plant like you would any other plant you want to train by staking branches you want to grow upright, you can wire them or weight them down. All sorts of stakes and ties will work. It is great that you moved it farther from the house as you can allow it to grow in its natural form without much pruning--it will be spectacular.

Watchout for that garden center and retail nursery advice--sounds like you got some half-truths in this deal, but I think you came out will a pretty good looking plant.

Save some space for that Seiryu--it can't be beat!

MJH

Katrina , I believe the red is because this was in a pot when I bought it and I think there was manybe some stresses at the nursery. I have been told while investigating this plant that this is normal and to not be alarmed.
The tree receives morning sun , and then gets dappled light on and off and seems to be ideal for this type tree.
I am going to baby it because I really love it and it works very well for the spot it is in ..
Thanks for looking .
Laura

The red is perfectly normal. It may be changing colors based on the amount of sun it's getting. It would be time to be alarmed when the leaves turned brown.

My Oshio Beni was green for a red variety, once I placed it outside for morning sun the leaves turned red again.

I think it is a Seiryu. I went to MountainMaples.com and compared the Seiryu with the Viridis and noticed a difference of leaf shape and color. The Viridis stays green while the Seiryu was green with pink tips like yours. Please visit their site and compare the two.

NoBreyner,

Don't let the leaves in the second photo with the red margins confuse you. Look at the first photo. Not a Seiryu. The leaves on this tree are too large to be Seiryu and for lack of a better way to say it, not feathery enough. The lobes of Seiryu will be somewhat narrow and uniformly incised. It is also vase-shaped and upright and often multi-trunked--this tree is not growing in that fashion.

MJH

Here is a link that might be useful: Esveld Seiryu

After looking at the leave pictures I don't think it is a Seiryu either. Leaves are too flat and not as fine as the Seiryu I have.

Here is a couple pictures of my younger Seiryu as you can see the leaves like to curl up and looks like little balls from distance. Also branching is more upright.

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1044037}}

Definitely not a Seiryu. Definitely a Viridis, although a somewhat brow-beaten, in need of TLC one. It can be pruned to keep it airy and layered in that spot, but only if you plan your cuts keeping in mind that as the growth elongates, it will grow down, not up. Personally, I'd just let it grow for at least a year before deciding how to try to manipulate it. Keep a good eye on the watering scheme, since the amount of moisture that will make the hydrangea happy-happy may be 'way too wet for your maple. Another issue will be the amount of fertilizer that get to its roots if you feed the lawn or the flowers. High nitrogen to green up the grass will cause lanky, weak, unmanageable growth on the JM.

Susan

Susan,
Yes This is a Viridis not a Seiryu. The leaves in the picture appear large due to close up with the camera. The branches on the tree also cascade for a lovely effect.
I don't think this tree is brow beaten at all. The photo only shows a flat view , if I could only show a full 360 view. It has the light airy, layered wind swept look. Due to it's age and being still a very young specimen the full impact of this style has yet to be seen.
The leaders can be staked to grow upwards and then the stake moved to the opposite side. Making for a very interesting bark twig habit . Pruning here and there .
Being a bed fellow with the hydrangea shouldn't pose a problem , both grow well in low PH , Both like moist but fast draining soil for intolerance of wet feet. This bed is on the outskirts of the house foundation which naturally has sharp drainage, no pooling of water here. I don't fertilize my lawn and most of the lawn is going anyway.

So many of the dissectum are growing as mounds , This one should be an interesting change .
I want to thank everyone for their help with this tree.
I have moved it further out since posting and turned it as well . It looks pleasing plus an added bonus has been since I have planted this tree it has been overcast so this helps .

Seventowers, I think your viridis is very pretty with the pink or redish edge thing going on this time of year. Even though the viridis I saw for sale at Sam's were better balanced and fuller than yours, they still did not look as nice since all of their leaves were totally green.

You could be right about the tree having been stressed and causing some of the autumn affect of the red coloring in the leaves. At least they have not turned yellow or even worse brown.

It is also good that your tree gets at least dappled afternoon shade. If the tree is getting too hot of afternoon sun, the leaves will begin to burn starting on the edges. Hopefully that will not be a problem that shows up. I have read that Viridis are adaptable to temperate zones up to 7 or 8, so if that is true it sounds pretty promising that your tree might adjust to the highest temperatures of your summers.

Be sure to keep us updated on how the tree progresses for you in the following summer fall and winter.

Oh, I see the difference; Thanks!