What JM would you put here?

9 years ago

I'm trying to decide on a small JM that will have interest in all seasons if possible. Would prefer it be easy to keep to no more than 3ft wide and maybe 2-3ft tall. Also hope it to be green in summer and have a nice winter structure. Internet research for the past few weeks has given me a lot of ideas and ton of second-guessing headaches. I'm in NYC Zone 7b and my yard is very protected from wind. No experience with JMs at all.

My yard is on the South side of the house, narrow (16 feet wide) and deep; the patio plus the dirt area under trees is 60 feet long. However, it's shaded due to the ceder tree in my property and the neighbors mulberry trees, and more distant but larger trees farther away which block the sun as it travels from east to west. Additionally, and more shade-producing, are the buildings that border the yard on the south and west. I want to put a JM on the left side in the slightly raised curbed area. There are currently two little azaleas that have hung on for a few years now on either side of the space I'd plant the JM. The pictures show the light situation May to September. The rest of the year, though leaves are down it is all shade from about noon on. The neighbor landlord has plans to cut down the mulberry trees right at the fence, but it's been 2 years since he said that...

Here are the pictures. Standing at my house facing South. May 8am: (yesterday)

June a few years ago around 2pm. Dappled light not hitting left side though. Old apple tree is gone now, replaced with CM Catawba but mulberry trees keep it almost as shady:

July 23 a few years ago, again around 2pm. Area is on the right here:

August a couple years ago at 8am: (very little light coming through chain link)

September a couple years ago at 12noon:

Any suggestions are appreciated!

Featured Answer

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)

9 years ago

That size limitation is overly restrictive.......I can't think of any JM's other than Sharp's Pygmy that will stay that size and even that selection will get bigger than that over time. And Japanese maples are not plants you want to prune routinely to keep size in check - it just destroys their growth habit and form.

Besides the Sharp's, I'd consider Mikawa Yatsubusa or Hupp's Dwarf, Fjellheim or Kiyo Hime. All will eventually get taller or wider (or both) than you want but not overly so.

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Comments (11)

brooklynbonnie
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you - I had Mikawa Yatsubusa on the top of the list but every website has a different height and width at the 10 year mark so I wasn't sure what would be accurate. I don't mind pruning every few years. I just wouldn't want it to die due to lack of sunlight or grow too quickly to be oversized for the space.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
These are very shade tolerant trees so, the amount of shade your garden offers is fine. Mikawa Yatsubusa gets bigger than one would expect - mine is already about 5' tall after about 5 years and I know of others that are approaching 15' - but it grows quite slowly and will take a long time before it would require pruning or outgrow your location.
brooklynbonnie
Original Author
9 years ago
Anyone familiar with Aoba Jo? One website described it as a smaller version of Mikawa Yatsubusa... Hmm. So many choices!
brooklynbonnie
Original Author
9 years ago
Decided on Kuro hime. Fingers crossed.
magpiepix 5b/6a
9 years ago
It's a very pretty tree. I have one in full shade and it's doing well. The only thing I'd caution is making sure to watch out for the effects of too much shade/moisture/humidity on these densely-growing dwarfs. If you live in an area with a very damp season, it can cause the interiors of dwarf cultivars to start showing a lot of leaf rot. I have a Kashima that, even in a mostly-sun position, struggles with this. I have to be careful to prune for better air circulation, or the whole tree looks ratty until we get into drier weather.

Enjoy your new tree!
brooklynbonnie
Original Author
9 years ago
Thank you for the advice!
mblan13
9 years ago
I have a Shishi Yatsabusa in a pot that would fit quite nicely and they are beautiful

http://www.pacificcoastmaples.com/japanese-maples/shishi-yatsubusa-japanese-maple-trees.html
mblan13
9 years ago
Another option if you havent got a Kuro Himi yet, LOTS of options!

http://www.mendocinomaples.com/dwarf-japanese-maples-great-for-containers
mblan13
9 years ago
brooklynbonnie, I love the Aoba Jo. Gorgeous! it will be my next one I think.
gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
9 years ago
LOL!! Pretty much any cultivar with 'yatsubusa' as part of the name would work :-) While there is no direct English translation, yatsubusa is generally taken to mean 'small' or 'small tufted', referring to the tightly layered structure of the foliage and congested nodes and is typically used when naming dwarf forms of Japanese origin plants. There are over 50 cultivars of dwarf Japanese white pines with yatsubusa as part of the name!