Hi, sweet
I have a 'Bloodgood' in Madison that hasn't gotten very large but has survived for around ten years in my garden with only a modicum of protection. It seems to be a fairly common cultivar. That could either mean it's a good performer or that it's just been around for so long.

If you shop Rich's Foxwillow Pines--where they have oodles of fabulous plants including Japanese maples--be warned that they might not want to sell to you. Rich himself said he wouldn't sell me a certain plant he was rating as zone 4 because he couldn't believe I have a zone 5 garden. Doubtless he was just trying to cover his butt, but honestly if I want to gamble I'll gamble :)

One of the problems I've noticed with Acer japonicum in SE WI is tip dieback. I believe this is caused by warmer temps causing the plats to break dormancy while the roots remain frozen causing dehydration of the new buds. It generally leaves the plant alive but with dead branch tips which can be pretty unsightly.

I'm trying a couple of the cutleaf varieties here in Franklin and am hoping for the best.

Shady: Can you remember the name of the nursery in Stoughton that sells a good variety of dwarf conifers? It's very close to the Flower Factory. Also does anyone know if this year's tornados in Stoughton has caused any damage to these facilities? I hope not as they are 2 of my Fav.s.

Merry Christmas to all here!!

Dave
Franklin

Stonewall Nursery has some great confers and ornamental trees and other landscape plants. As far as I know the nurseries in that area including FF, SW and Enchanted Valley all escaped the tornadoes.

I love day-tripping to those three.

Thanks,

The messages confirm what I though - marginally hardy in lower Wisconsin.

Guess that means I'll go ahead but slowwwww.

Ah, of course, Stonewall....I should have remembered that one. Great place for conifers. Flower Factory is where I buy most of my miniatures and succulents for the C&S garden. Not familiar with Enchanted Gardens though...but the name sounds enchanting. :)

Dave
Milwaukee

Monrovia Nursery (California wholesaler) has been selling 'Emperor 1' acer palmatum through local nurseries here in northeastern Wisconsin. The parent tree is supposed to be from upstate New York (z4) and therefore of proven hardiness. It seems to be doing well here in the Green Bay area. I am also experimenting with a seed strain from Girard's Nursery in Ohio named 'Robinson's Red' which is supposed to have survived temps in the mid -20° range. I've had good success with the shirasawanum group.

There are several cultivars of A.palmatum that are proven hardy to this area (z5 for me) & have been sold here for quite some time. The palmate leaved 1's: Bloodgood, Emperor 1 (the new & improved version of Bloodgood...leafs out 2 weeks later in case of late spring frosts) & Fireglow. As far as the dissectums go: Crimson Queen, Ever Red, Red Select, Inabra Shidaire, Red Dragon, Viridis & Waterfall. There might be more that I can't think of off the top of my head.

Most of the A. japonicum's should be hardy to zone 5 as well.

Like all plants, the longer in the ground the hardier they become.

Shady!!!

Fancy meeting you here! Remember me?

I have 2 red Japanese Maples. One was purchased from Kmart about 7 years ago and another was a little baby off ebay about 4 years ago. Both are doing great here in zone 4. I am in a protected setting in the woods. The deer love them in the winter, so they have to be caged in late fall.

Shirley

Aphro! Imagine meeting you here. Small world.

Dave, Enchanted Valley is pretty nice with a good selection of woodies as well as perennials. They started out as primarily a daylily nursery and then expanded their scope.

Happy New Year wisconsinites! I am really worried about the japanese maple I got from Enchanted Valley a few years ago. It remains quite small. My plan was to mulch it as soon as the ground got frozen-but forgot. I was thinking it might grow taller if I treated it better-Isn't a Jan Thaw it's worse enemy.

It is planted in the wrong spot anyway-between houses and it gets a few hours of hot sun. But it continues to look healthy depite being a shorty
Diane

hope it was OK to post this here

Toots,

Your maple will probably be fine if it has already lived a few years in its current location. It probably is even somewhat protected between houses.

Mine grow on the edge of the woods and have to compete with large trees. Actually, they seem much hardier than everyone at nurseries talks about. But mine are not the cut leaf fancy ones.

Shirley

I've had an Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' in my garden for 15 years, and it's now about 15 feet tall and as wide. There has been some dieback through the years, which I prune out each February or early March, but overall the tree looks great, and has been one of the main features in my garden. I usually cover the bottom of the trunk with evergreen boughs after Xmas to keep the low winter sun off the trunk, to prevent any sunscald or frost cracking in the early spring. In the fall, its color is even more brilliant red than during the summer. NOthing to loose for trying one in a zone 4b or 5 garden, IMO.

Anyone grow Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum', Fullmoon Maple? I am looking for small, interesting looking trees for my garden and wonder how hardy these are?

I've got A.s. 'Aureum' here in Green Bay. A small plant just coming out of it second winter - every buds is breaking right now - no winter damage at all. Appears very robust.

WOW! I had to do some digging to find this thread.

My wife was going to purchase a Japanese Maple for father's day gift. A potted 5' tree was $120!! Too much for me...good thing she told me before she bought it. We ended up buying a 1 to 2 foot tree for $20. I am worried about it's hardiness in Wisconsin. I am glad to see that there is hope and that my new tree has a chance.

We live between Madison & Milwaukee.

Anyone else have luck with Japanese Maples?

I have one by my pond that I have had for 4 years. One year it showed and little frost damage, but it is growing quite nicely. Lowe's just has some on clearance last week when I was there.

Mine came through the winter beautifully here in Franklin with no protection. They were planted in early fall which made me suspicious as to their hardiness this year. One was a red dissectum and the other a green dissectum. Never know till ya try, I guess.

Dave
Franklin.

One landscape in the area has 4 Japanese Maples of 2 different varieties. Back in the 70s we were zone 3 now we are on the zone 4 map. Perhaps there is some lake protection but the lake is not that big. No sign of trouble at all for 7 years now.
This landscape recieves alot of irrigation which I personally believe helps winterize many things. But many were surprised to see them make it.

I'm glad I found this thread! I want to plant a JM in my front yard...but am trying to find out what my options are for my zone and the location in which the JM will be planted. I like the reds (especially the darker burgundy). I like dissectums, but I want a fairly upright tree, not a mound. And I want something that won't get more than 8' tall (I know they are usually slow growing, but still, I don't want to have to move it several years down the road because it's getting too big!) I'd really like to see some JM pictures if anyone cares to share! Just an opportunity to show them off! Looking at all of the places that offer them for sale, of course you see mostly pictures of their leaves close up. I'd love to see what kind of JM you have, and how it looks!
Angie

Old thread but for posterity: I've got a number of Japanese maples growing in my 5a garden in Madison, WI. Ukigumo, hogyuko, shindesojo, coral pink and osakazuki all seem to like it here just fine. Caveat: we have a mature garden and plenty of shade and protection from wind thanks to large trees. I've also got them within 8-10 feet of a wall in every case, also for wind protection. also critical is placing them on northern or eastern exposure sites to protect them from warming up too quickly in the spring. Haven't had one die yet for a couple of winters, though I suppose a severe one might cause me to eat my words. As things stand, every one of them is growing like a bad weed.

I have had "Red Select" Japanese Maple in Green Bay for about 5 years on the SW corner of my city corner lot. The tag says good to -10 to -20. It lived through the "polar vortex" year, which got colder than that (was that in 2015?) Survives the winters. It is a VERY slow grower. I protect it from rabbits at this small size ( I bought a small, inexpensive one from Aldi's.)