April’s Plant of the Month: Japanese Maples

With nearly all plants, Spring and Fall are the best times for planting due to cooler air temperatures, moist soil conditions, and time to grow established root systems before extreme temperatures hit. This year, we’re carrying a wide array of Japanese Maple varieties, all ready to be put in your ground pronto! It’s too hard to just pick one this month, so why not learn a little about a few different favorites we’re selling? 

‘Emperor 1’ is a standout red-leaf variety prized for its reliable color and resilience. Its deep burgundy foliage holds well through summer heat and turns brilliant crimson in fall. Unlike many maples, it leafs out later, helping it avoid spring frost damage (especially in the unpredictable NC climate!). 

The ‘Seiryu’ variety is a truly unique Japanese maple. It’s the only upright-growing variety with finely cut, laceleaf foliage (dissectum type). It combines the delicate texture of weeping laceleaf maples with a strong vertical form, making it a standout in any landscape.

‘Inaba Shidare’ is a weeping laceleaf maple with finely cut dark red foliage. It holds its rich color better than many dissectum types and forms a graceful, cascading shape. This tree is perfect for adding texture and movement to garden beds or near water features.

‘Tamukeyama’ is one of the most reliable red laceleaf varieties, known for its durability and long-lasting color. Its cascading branches are covered in deep crimson leaves that turn bright scarlet in fall. It’s a tried-and-true favorite for adding graceful structure and rich color.

‘Twombly’s Red Sentinel’ variety has a narrow columnar form, making it ideal for tight spaces, especially in urban areas where space is limited. It features rich red foliage and grows upright rather than wide. Use this tree for entryways, small gardens, or vertical accents next to low growing shrubs. 

‘Tobiosho’ is loved for its vibrant seasonal color shifts. Bright red spring leaves soften to green in summer, then ignite in fiery orange-red tones in fall. Three leaf colors on one tree? You can’t beat it! It has an upright form and classic maple leaf shape, making it a beautiful and ever-changing focal point.

‘Shirazz’ offers variegated foliage in shades of pink, cream, and burgundy. Each leaf looks hand-painted, and the colors intensify with cooler weather. This variety brings a bold, artistic flair to the garden and stands out in any collection.