That afternoon sun - especially in your location - can be a killer!! I'd opt for as much dappled afternoon shade as possible. Even in my very mild and cool summer climate (and with a much lower sun intensity due to its very northerly location), 'Autumn Moon' and its cousin 'Aureum' can suffer leaf scorch in afternoon sun. And that bright gold color doesn't read nearly as well in a very sunny location but really glows in a more shaded one.

i hope you are planning ahead.. rather than thinking about planting in august???

i dont know AL off hand .. are you north or south AL ... i have to believe extreme north is much different than south ..... do you see any JMs in your area???

ken

That's where I'm kinda torn because I want to try to give as much shade as I can but there isn't a whole lot. The dappled afternoon shade is about the same time as the shade from the house

I'm in central Alabama.

many suggest.. planting the backbones of the garden ... before worrying about the foo foo ... and that is usually the trees.. that ..in tree time take years.. if not decades to grow ....

perhaps you need to plant other trees and things.. deferring your instant gratification on the foo foo JM ....

i have no clue as to AL ...... but something like a redbud would be faster growing.. and inside 5 years.. could give you the afternoon shade you would need for the JM ...

below is a planting primer ... note the first section on timing ,,.. most likely you have a couple months to figure out a planting plan ....

if you could visit a local arboretum ... you might get all kinds of more local information .... since you did not give a big city name.. i cant search it out for you .... other than this ...

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=AL+arboretum&t=ffcm&ia=places&ulexp=

hey.. i have even heard about morton ... here is an acer search on their site

http://www.mortonarb.org/search/content/acer

ken

https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub

My Autumn moon is in full sun and we've been in the 90's a few times this year. It's been in the 80's every day. The tree has minimal burning. I'm aware that Alabama is hotter but I think if you put it in a fair amount of afternoon shade it might be okay. Nothing can hurt giving this tree a try in that shaded location.