Did not realize Japanese maples extended into Zone 5b. It is the only Maple that surprived for me. When I moved into my current property, we had Sugar Maple and Red Maple, they both declined in health and then died. The Bloodgood, Japanese Maple has always been our favorite but it is a big Maple. Gorgeous tree, in leaf from late April through November, but in November tghe leaves turn scarlet red and still linger for about a month.

Thiis is late November.

They look fantastic, and in a tricky colder hardiness zone. Nice job.

I just bought a 6-gallon Ukigumo, I'm excited to see how it does.

Here are my roughly 10-year-old Crimson Queen and Viridis, this was one week ago and I agree that right now is about the best they will look until fall.

Chris

Did not realize Japanese maples extended into Zone 5b.

I have lost many JMs to too cold weather in the past 15 years but this group has now been hardy for me for awhile now.

(And I bet we have been 6a for many years now)

I need to move to a warmer zone so I can grow them too!

Maybe stay where you are and you will be a zone 5 or 6 before you know it ;)

(zone 3a is definitely a cold one....you havent been reclassified in the past few years to even a 3b or 4?)

@rouge: we’ve been having 3b temps for the past 5-6 years, so I’m expecting a change for the next revision.

Rouge, would be hard to pick a favorite, though 'Skeeters Broom' and 'Dr. Brown' I especially like!

Rouge, LOVE your JMs. I agree that in the spring, all the new foliage is so beautiful, fresh and new. It's amazing really the change from summer to fall to winter and then....spring! We only have a 'Bloodgood' and 3 years ago due to a late freeze or something we had a lot of die back for the first time in 25 years. Dead branches up in the canopy. Thankfully we have had good rain since then and the tree has recovered more thant I would have thought. This year it looks pretty good. I can still look up into the canopy and see some dead branches, but we also had a lot of wind this year and a lot of the dead branches came down.

I love your 'Skeeter's Broom' and yes, that Ukigumo is won-der-ful!

I have a couple of photos of the canopy of my 'Bloodgood' before the damage when it was filled with helicopters and when I find them I'll try to post this weekend. Japanese Maples are so gorgeous. So graceful I love the shape of the branches and trunks and each leaf is so perfect.

I found the photos....

Here it is with all the helicopters

And this was with Fall color....

Great Bloodgood, Prairie. I just bought my first upright JM with a 6-gallon Ukigumo. I have space but not so much going up, most of my plants are under a white pine canopy.

Chris

Wait, check that I lied. I did plant an "Aureum" Full Moon JM that is upright as well. Once I get the area around it spruced up a bit for pictures, I will post. She is magnificent.

Chris

Chris I almost bought a 'Full Moon' once. They are very different then the usual deeply cut leaves. They're very pretty. I love the color of the goldens and I like even more, seeing the reds and burgundies with the goldens. I really don't have room for another Japanese Maple, so I try to enjoy all those I see here on GW!!. I'm in the market for a small flowering tree. My property is pretty small.

Rouge you have so many, and so many other plants....I wonder how large your property is?

I couldn't wait, here she is hiding beneath a calycanthus that the nursery label said 5' to 6' tall. It is now at least 20 feet tall, really a tree.

Anyway, when I dig her out a little I will take a better picture befitting of her beauty.

Chris

Rouge you have so many, and so many other plants....I wonder how large your property is?

It is not large at all @prairiemoon2 z6b MA...our home sits on a lot which is 50 feet wide by about 115 feet deep...as I recall, about a tenth of an acre.

Wow. That's a lot of JMs for that size lot. Nice work.

Chris

Thanks @ckerr007. I would call our garden "action packed" :).

Rouge, I would have guessed you had a larger property than that! You do an amazing job gardening that space. I wonder if you find it a benefit to have a small space that you have to be efficient with? I'm sure my garden is a lot less work than others with larger gardens. And it focuses my choices. I wish I could say it allows me to keep it neater...lol.

Chris, glad you worked out your posting issues.

Your Full Moon grows 8-10ft tall....that should work well with your Pine canopy. If I remember right, it has really nice fall color too. Good luck with it! It's beautiful!!