This is not the time of year to look for much of a selection of trees :-) Even in my area, where I can plant pretty much all through winter, tree selection at the end of the growing season is minimal. Nursery and garden center buyers are making up their orders now for next season. Unless a dedicated grower, trees are typically ordered just once a year and stock now is always very low.

I wouldn't plant one of these in USDA 5 during October anyway - call around next spring when outlets are stocked back up again. Unless you are planning to buy directly from a grower.

or call now and have them order one in for you ... for next spring ....

as business starts slowing down for winter.. that is when the managers start putting together next springs order ...

ken

Ditto to what ken said. Do you have a reputable nursery locally? They can have one ready for you in spring.

If you are intent on planting now, I found one at Sooner Plant Farm. I bought a redbud from them this spring (first time purchase) and was very happy with size, quality, and packaging of the tree.

https://www.soonerplantfarm.com/plant/maple-paperbark

Hmm, I went back to check the link and the $80 tree disappeared and suddenly they're not available till spring! Did someone just buy the last one while I was typing lol? Anyway, based on my one purchase (which isn't a lot, I admit) I would recommend them.

:)

Dee

^^ Thanks, Dee, but these grow very slowly, I'll be dead by the time its big enough to really show it's beauty -- have to start with a much bigger tree than that.

mxk3 - where in Michigan are you located? If it's being planted in a relatively protected location, you could probably go ahead and plant now, and there should be nurseries in the area that have them available.

Late summer/early fall is a favorite time for me to buy trees/shrubs/perennials because they are nearly always deeply discounted; gotta love a good sale! I was searching for an Autumn Brilliance Serviceberry and found a beautiful large specimen at a nursery in Livonia, but I felt it was too much money to spend. I ended up purchasing a smaller one for 50% off at another nursery and planted it a few weeks ago.

I fear that one of my favorite MI nurseries - Milarch’s, will never open to the public again. They limited their sales to professionals only during the pandemic, and I think they ended up liking that. I could usually find what I was looking for and they always had dozens of specimens to choose from. Now it’s hit or miss when I go elsewhere to purchase a tree or shrub.

LOL mxk. That's exactly why I went with a redbud instead of another oak when I lost my beautiful oak tree. I figured I'd never live to see the oak!

But what size are you looking for? If you are looking for a really big tree, that WILL be pricey, no? Especially a slow-growing one - those things are always more expensive! And you'd have to find it locally because it can't be delivered cross country.

The redbud I got was 5 feet tall, and $150, to give you some reference. I was happy, but I realize it's a lot faster grower than a maple.

:)

Dee

P.S. just re-read your original post and saw your second question. Yes! I believe I started a quest yesterday lol, for a tall, white-blooming rhodie hardy in zone 6. Every time I found one that sounded good, I couldn't find it anywhere! A winter project, I suppose.... :)

Young paperbark maple doing well enough for it easily grow 18-24 in. per flush - if they didn't there wouldn't be so many of them on the market. And what was available would cost multiple times per unit what it already does.

Per the original question, I am always on the lookout for more Mt St Helens rhododendrons/azaleas. I found one at a vendor in 2018 and could kick myself for not buying two. They are IMPOSSIBLE to find, but unbelievably beautiful.

Anything that was trendy ten to twenty years ago is nowhere to be found. Local vendors don't have Geranium phaeum 'Samabor' or Helianthus 'Flore Pleno', to name two I'd also like to snatch up!

"Young paperbark maple doing well enough for it easily grow 18-24 in. per flush - if they didn't there wouldn't be so many of them on the market."

I have a paperbark maple, planted it myself about 5 years ago -- I don't care what the resources say, over here it hasn't grown anywhere near the clip of 18-24 in per flush/per year. I wish. It is a healthy, beautiful tree, though. So no, it's not "struggling" -- it's just slow.