I do collect but my collection is somewhat limited as I grow all of them in containers. I have the following:
Akane
Kasagi yama
Aka shigitatsu sawa
Mikawa yatsubusa
Hupp's Dwarf
Baldsmith
Villa Taranto
Koto no ito
Manyo no sato
an oddly variegated NOID
and A. shirasawanum Aureum and Autumn Moon

Not sure that I will be adding to my collection any time soon. Some of these trees I've had for years and the containers are good sized and there is a limit as to how many containers I can accumulate and display in the space I have available. Since I garden primarily in containers, JM's are not my only passion and I have a collection of dwarf conifers as well......not to mention a bunch of other containerized shrubs and perennials.

Very cool. Here is my list:

Crimson Queen x3 (all were there when I moved in)

Ukigumo

Bloodgood

Sango Kaku

Beni Kawa

Shishigashira

Mikawa Yatsubusa

Ruby Lace

Saiho

Shigitatsu Sawa

Waterfall

Hippy Fin Mo

Shirasawanum Monrise

Koto No Ito

Seiryu

Japanese Sunrise

Kurenai Jishi

Vic's Broom

Takao

Felice

Butterfly

Red Pygmy

Orangeola

I have a Tsukushigata on the way as well. It will be my last maple for a while as my front yard is full. I have more room in the back yard but it will be a while before I get started on those beds.

What characteristics that Japanese Maples have they you find most attracted to?
I have a lot of them, but they were raised from seed so I can't compare your named cultivars with my unnamed trees. I raised mine from seeds because of budget constraints and only have 3 named varieties, so it's not a large collection. You obtained 25 in 18 months tells me you have been seriously bitten by the Japanese Maple bug.
How a person displays them is as varied as the people that grow them. Do you think of them primarily as a collection, or as additions to your garden? Mine are additions.
Got pictures?

Does anybody have pictures? The regulars here know I do. ;-) The OP is asking for pictures and how your maples are displayed.

http://s75.photobucket.com/user/Botann/library/Winter%202012-13?sort=2&page=1

Mike

This thread needs more pictures.

Yes Jalcon, everyone needs to buy cameras instead of more JM's!

I like the dwarf ones I can keep in containers. I have a small yard, and I also collect conifers too.

IN GROUND

Ueno Homare

Katsura

Tsusaka Silhouette

Autumn Moon

IN POTS

Shishi Yatsabusa

Orangeola

Kamagata

Trying to get a Manyo No Sato, but I keep getting outbid. :(

Mike your garden is really nice. You have some beautiful trees (in addition to your maples). I noticed the large maple you grew from seed. I would love to have a tree that large that I started as a single seed one day. I have a lot of maples but most of them were purchased very small to they will take some time to grow. I think the JM is such a cool tree for a lot of reasons. Branching structure, generally a small size, lots of variety, awesome color, and even winter interest.

The landscaping was dull and bland when we purchased our home. I have spent the last 5 years on and off redoing pretty much everything. Everything in our landscape is native to Asia and everything goes together well since it exists together in nature. As far as displaying the maples I would consider them a collection but they exist in the landscape with lots of other plants and trees. There may be some side by side but you do have the opportunity to admire one at a time. I still have a couple of flower beds under construction so about 10 of the maples are still in pots.

I will get my photo album updated next week and post it. I have a few of the trees that I haven't shot and I don't have hardly any photos of the full trees. Below is what I had on my phone.

Japanese Maple Gallery

For some reason I can't add titles to the photos. If you want to know what any one is let me know.

I could only get the first one to load and it took a long time. :-(

Might just be me.
Mike

It was acting very strange as I couldn't any of the titles or descriptions to save so it may be Photobucket. I will see if anything is different tomorrow.

They loaded fast and smooth for me..

I got it to work this time. You have a lot!
To get your labels to work scroll way over to the right of the picture and click on the blue check sign.
Mike

Every time I click the check sign it says "Hmm something didn't click. Try again now." When I do it still will not save the titles or descriptions. Weird.

I started collecting a few years ago. Since I'm in 5b, almost all of mine are in the ground. Some are 4-10' trees, but many are still 4-5 years old.

I have:
North Wind
Emperor I (2)
Tamukeyama
Orangeola
Seriyu
Fireglow
Moonrise
Corallinum
Lemon Lime Lace
Capercis Dwarf
Umegae
Scolopendrifolium
Tsukushigata
Ariadne
Red Dragon
Baldsmith
Iijima sunago
Shindeshojo
Mikawa yatsubusa
Kihachijo
Kuro hime
Kashima
Waterfall
Shin chishio
Manyo no sato
Bashful
Momoiro koyasan
One that was labelled Corallinum but I suspect is really Seigai or Bonfire

Died:
Sango kaku (too cold)
Shidava gold (too cold)
Ruby Stars (failed potting experiment)

I'm basically out of room, but I'd like to add:
Ao meshime no uchi
Mure hibari
Ukigumo

I also have eight seedlings I'm raising for fun. They probably won't stay with me, except for one Japonicum aconitifolium hybrid I really like the looks of. Too early to tell how it will do, though.

Worked for me 1st time too!..you've caught the bug quickly,no hope now :)
Here's a few more though seriously out of date and don't ask me how to view all the pics,I can't work it out myself ha ha.

Sorry magpie posted same time as you....hell of a collection y'got there and I've killed more than you! :)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/129666766@N02/sets/72157654239478046

Magpie.. How can you make a post like that without pics?! Lol..

Awesome pics houzi, that's quite a collection..

Jem Houzi, have your friends and relatives suggested you should seek professional help? ;-)
An unlabelled pic of a Japanese maple is just a seedling. ;-)
Awesome pictures though!
mike

Thanks for sharing your lists and photos everyone.

Ha ha,yes Mike,often,but not for the maples :)...actually there's not as many as you think,a lot of repetitions.Are the labels not showing up for you?...should be there with japanese kanji also.

I wasn't giving the labels time to load. I got it now!
Even with repetitions, that's impressive.
Mike

I didn't include photos because so many of mine are young. Also, we recently moved to an urban location so I don't feel like my small garden/yard is all that spectacular. Most of my JMs are placed on the perimeter of the yard, mixed in with dogwoods, an oak, and a magnolia (also all new). It doesn't look like much now, but in 5-10 years I'm hoping it starts to be the shaded, enclosed, secret garden I've imagined, complete with many interesting leaf shapes, colors, and sizes of JM.

I'm curious...for the people that have more than one or two JMs, what are your favorites? I can't upload pictures of all of mine, but I could upload a few. This year my faves are:

Moonrise

Scolopendrifolium (the seeds this year are so pretty!)

Tsukushigata

Iijima sunago (it has colors unlike any other I've seen-- very orange-red, which lasts a long time):

I also love Mikawa yatsubusa, more for the shades of green than the form (which is also cool), and I've enjoyed Capercis Dwarf quite a bit since adding it to my collection-- it's such a vivid yellow-green:

Houzi, those are great photos! I love the shot from underneath the Tsukushigata. Your Oridono nishiki is stunning, too. So many beautiful images and trees to look at!

I noticed you have Kihachijo. Mine is turning very red in the sun. Do you have yours in shade?

What do you think of Phoenix? I find that cultivar very tempting...

Thanks Magpie,never be worried about sharing your photos,we're all here for the same reasons and your photos are beautiful...your Moonrise is very eyecatching.Many of mine are small but they still have beautiful leaves....and I know your garden looks nicer than mine...I've just crammed too many maples into a tiny space...such is the addiction ha ha.
Yes my Kihachijo is fairly shaded and still small but I know it's gonna be way up near the top of my list for favourites.As for favourites,I have a few because of their foliage.
Ukigumo with it's white leaves is top of my list(and Marakumo could be 2nd for same reasons)
Next would be Geisha for it's pink leaves but I've never seen one in the flesh.
Also Mikawa Yatsubusa is at the top of most people's lists and mine.With the correct shaping it's unique form can be a thing of real beauty but it wouldn't be a natural look.However at the end of the day,a tree with beautiful form which could have the plainest leaves will probably stop me in my tracks and catch my heart more than any fancy variety...therefore Kihachijo's right up there but then again an unknown seedling could be too.
Phoenix for me is really another springtime cultivar,lovely in spring turning to so so later like most.However it seems a good strong grower and not twiggy like some.

There are a few JM cultivars that I would consider favorites. Tsukushigata is up there and I don't even have it yet. As soon as I saw a mature tree at the nursery I knew I had to have one.

I also really like my Hippy Fin Mo. It's the newest cultivar of the Okushimo/Kurui Jushi family with rolled leaves. The HFM stays a little smaller so I found it ideal.

I am also a big fan of Mikawa Yatsubusa. My newest tree planted is the Kurenai Jishi which is a red/black Shishigashira type. I'm really excited about it too.

I'm sure you'll like Tsukushigata,it's a 3season tree with nice shape.The spring red is pleasantly different from the rest then the chocolate brown sets in slowly fading to more green hues.Then it's capable of really good fall colours,for me it was an intense orange a couple of years back though not seen it as good since, but many report yellow fall colours....mind you my fall display is usually dismal,I think we don't get enough dry sunny weather during this time.
Seen your Kurenai jishi,looks interesting but will probably take a few years to come over here.Does it have the lovely green bark like Shishigashira?

As far as I can tell it does. The leaves grow in such an interesting pattern, almost in columns.

I started collecting 2 years ago and have over 130 of them. It's addicting. Just bought 7 more this week :)

Wow! 130 is a large collection. How do you display them all? Any pics?

You've got me beat for speed, greenhavenrdgarden! I've got 127 currently. I've probably purchased/collected at least 2ce as many, but through my own ignorance, tornadoes, drought, and disease, ... did I mention my own ignorance? ... and really bad, stupid soil choices, I've lost down to 127. But I've been collecting since my OCD bug bit me in 2004. I was just today looking at my list and when some of my larger trees were first acquired.

I've got 7 coming any day now. I'm replacing some I killed that I really liked.
A mature Inazuma (disease),
Virdis (last received was red, not green)
a Seriyu (again, not the correct plant),
Nuresagi (disease and deer),
an Arakawa (I think I pruned off the Arakawa part, leaving the stock),
Sensu (didn't survive winter - bad soil)
and a new one, Fireball.

- My Booskop Glory is struggling in the yard, in bad soil. Will move that this fall.
- Winter Flame, Aoba Jo, Brocade, Red Pygmy, Kamagata, Emmit's Pumpkin, Lozita, Crimson Carole, Attaryi, and Hogyoku will go in the ground this fall. Maybe Skeeter's Broom.
- Nicholsonii, Sherwood Flame, Garnet, Oshi Beni, Paperbark Maple and Iijima Sunago went into the ground last fall.
- In years before, Okagami, Burgundy Lace, 2 Fireglow, a Trombemburg, Volubile, Shania, Beni Schichihenge, Omyurama, Red Dragon, Chantilly Lace, Waterfall, Oregon Sunset, Green Mist, Suminagashi, Kurui Jishi, and Corillium, went into the ground.

Then I have the remainder in pots. Big pots, small pots, even kids with chicken pox, love hot dogs... stop me.

So yes, I have the bug.

How are people claiming 120, 130 + JM collections and just not posting pictures? Lol.. I mean, I'd love to see some overall shots of all these trees. All I know is if I had that kind of collection, I'd have a ton of great pics!

I don't take pictures because I have a 12 year old phone. I have, in the past, posted wide angle shots of my holding beds. They never look as pretty as in person. It's like trying to take a picture of a tree in a forest.

Added 10 more today. I post pics all the time on the Japanese Maples Facebook pages I am part of. I haven't been posting garden pics since Gardenweb switched to houzz. I enjoy the facebook pages more.

Is it OK to just go out and buy a whole bunch of maples without even knowing where to put them?

Sure, go ahead! You'll find a place. Judicious pruning can make room for more. :-)

I have more seed grown maples than I have places to put them and I have ten acres. You're not alone.

I have a lot of Japanese maples, but only a few are named varieties. I just don't have the budget to buy many, so I went the seedling route and have had a lot of fun growing seedlings from seedlings from seedlings since 1979.

I do have a few named varieties though. I haven't been completely broke. ;-)

Mike

Japanese maple grown from seed and pruned to show 'flow'. The Hemlock on the left is growing out of a nurse log.

I added a few, myself. Replacing some deer and heat killed. Inzuma, among others. Can't recall right now.

I really dislike Facebook for its inane blather. I dislike it even more because photos jump. I realize most photo sites are going to the pics that load as you move down, but I find it distracting and hard to follow. Perhaps because I don't want to waste time on it. But if you're enjoying your group, more power to you! :)

I'm up to over 40 at the moment. I started working on a new stroll garden in my back yard that will hold an additional 15-20 maples by the time it's done. I'm really hoping for some good fall color but I'm afraid they are going to go from green to brown.