I doubt you would be able to tell them apart unless placed side by side :-) They are VERY similar.

Knowing where you are located might make a difference........

Thanks for your help. I live in Long Island, NY.

OK. Neither is better or worse than the other, so I would select based on which individual tree - regardless of cultivar name - looks the best to you. Tamukeyama may have a bit more of a mounding habit, while Red Select (aka Inaba Shidare) tends to be a bit more upright/less strongly pendulous.

Thanks. Are there any more obvious differences? My local nursery has some Japanese maples but a few are not labeled and the guy says that one of them is Red Select (Inaba Shidare). I read on one site that Tamukeyama's young branches and twigs are maroon red. Does Inaba Shidare have maroon red branches?

Does this Japanese Maple look like Inaba Shidare or Tamakuyama?

I don't mean this to be facetious but does it really matter? If you are looking for a red leaved, weeping dissectum that holds its color well, either will fill the bill very nicely :-) Although, I do consider an untagged/unlabeled JM to be a bargaining chip.......lack of an accurate ID tag on one of these is worth a small discount in my mind!!

Based on the observation that Tamukeyama has dark red twigs (not something I've ever bothered to confirm personally), then of the two choices, I would guess this to be Red Select/Inaba Shidare.

Thanks. the reason it's important to me is because I have Tamukeyama already and don't want a duplicate. I read that Inaba Shidare has hair on the leaves in the spring. so I will be looking for that when it gets leaves.

If you had Tamukeyama would you still want Inaba Shidare?

Stuart - to me they are too similar and, since I don't like the form and shape of either, one is one too many in my yard. If you like the weeping form have you thought about a green one like Viridis? I have a small one in a pot and it thrives on a northeast facing patio underneath a deck.

I just can't get into the weeping varieties.

"I just can't get into the weeping varieties."

I am not much of a fan either :-) The only one I own is 'Baldsmith' and only because of its range of colors. One of my very first JM's years ago was Acer japonicum 'Green Cascade', which I liked better than any other weeping form I've encountered. But it got unmanageably wide for a container plant so gave it to a friend when I moved.

I do use them in designs from time to time but many of my clients do not prefer the weeping forms either......most want the uprights :-))

I have same issues with weepers due to lake of space. My two red weepers were purposefully selected for their summer and winter hardiness for the front yard with full sun in the summer and no wind protection during winter. So far so good. Red dragon seems to grow really slow so works perfectly for me (I got it as a 7 G so nice size and form).

i have Shu Shidare and Baldsmith in containers. their colors are different and always changing throughout the season. Shu Shidare has the beautiful orange spring color that lasts for a long time, sun tolerant and stays small. I have it for 2 years. Baldsmith is new this year.

And Hana Matoi, everybody should have at least one ( in my opinion). The color and variegation are so beautiful, grows fast and stays small with a nice weeping habit. I also have it in container in mostly sun location.

i also have emerald lace, very hardy and beautiful all seasons long but grows really wide and fast. I keep it in container to manage its size. But this is one green weeper I absolutely love. Too bad I don’t have the space to fully utilize its potential.