Recommendation for small Japanese Maple in open shade

7 years ago

last modified: 7 years ago

Hi everyone,

I'm looking to replace a 'Sunglow' vine maple that has been highly susceptible to powdery mildew for years and just generally pretty unattractive summer through fall. The spot is a small patch between my home and my neighbors' home, and I estimate that I could fit a tree with a 10-year height between 5 and 8 feet tall in the spot. The taller the tree, the more upright it would have to be due to space constraints. The little plot the tree would be in is planed with various hardy cyclamen and Korean saber ferns.

Here's roughly what I'm hoping for:

1) Dwarf to small tree with a tree-like form (upright or open, not shrubby or witch's broom-like).

2) Well suited to part shade / open shade. I'd estimate 2-3 total hours of morning and evening direct sunlight.

3) Leaf color will look nice with silvery cyclamen and ferns

4) Leaf type is palmate or shirasawanum-type (full-moon), not deeply dissected.

5) The more seasons of interest and the better the leaf color will be in my shaded situation, the better.

If it helps, the angle the tree will be viewed from most often will show the tree against my neighbor's blue-grey house.

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Comments (3)

gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
Sounds like you are looking for something with red foliage. Unfortunately, many red leaved JM's wil green out if in much shade.....they really need some good direct sunlight to maintain that red coloring. If you can deal with that, 'Skeeter's Broom' may fit your other requirements. Other possibilities are 'Pixie', 'Ruby Ridge' and 'Rhode Island Red'.

If you can deal with something larger growing, 'Fireglow' or A. circinatum 'Burgundy Jewel' or 'Pacific Purple'.
PacNorWreck thanked gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
PacNorWreck
Original Author
7 years ago
Thanks for the reply.

I'm not set on red foliage, though I do think it would look nice against the neighbors' blue-grey house and with the cyclamen. Really anything other than year-round green would be totally fine, though.

I'm currently considering akane / katsura hime, rhode island red / ruth's red (some disagreement on size for this one) / adrian compact, kotobuki, and shirasawanum 'bashful' (afraid this one will get powdery mildew as it's quite similar to circinatum 'sunglow' but I really love the shirasawanums). If I could fit shishigashira in that'd totally be a contender, too.
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gardengal48 (PNW Z8/9)
7 years ago
Akane could work - I grwt that one myself and it is lovely at any time of year. I'd skip the Shishigahira....in time it will get very large. I know of one close by that is easily 25' tall and wide!

Of your list, I like Kotobuki the best. It will appreciate the shady spot and the pink and white variegation would compliment the neighbor's blue-gray house.