Japanese Maple

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

Part sun to light shade; medium moisture, well-drained soil essential; prefers rich loam, tolerates clay with good drainage; pH 4.5–6.5.

15–25 feet tall by 15–25 feet wide (species type); small reddish-purple flowers in spring; fruit is a paired samara 1–2 cm long, ripening September–October. Growth rate slow to medium. Hundreds of cultivars exist with widely varying form, size, and leaf color.

Native region: Not native to Tennessee; ornamental introduction from Japan, Korea, and China.

Japanese Maple is one of the most widely planted ornamental trees in Middle Tennessee residential landscapes. The species tolerates Zone 6b/7a winters, but many cutleaf and dissectum cultivars are less cold-hardy and may suffer twig dieback in severe winters. The critical site requirement is afternoon shade — in Columbia and surrounding Maury County, west-facing exposures with afternoon sun cause leaf scorch and early defoliation by August. Acer palmatum is not drought-tolerant once stressed; supplemental watering during droughts extending past two weeks prevents premature defoliation. Verticillium wilt is the primary fatal disease in Tennessee; infected trees show one-sided or whole-crown dieback with no effective cure. Anthracnose and tar spot are common in wet springs but rarely fatal. Mulching 8–10 cm deep out to the dripline stabilizes root zone soil temperature, which is especially important given Middle Tennessee's fluctuating winter-spring temperatures.