Japanese Maple Upright in December Japanese Maple "Coral Bark" in January We are presently growing 40 varieties of grafted Japanese maples !!!       We have regrettably decided to discontinue shipping our Japanese maples for 2008, due to the added cost of “dimensional weight” (oversized boxes) by UPS and USPS. However, if you are within driving distance of our nursery….. We will allow pickup for the maples, but, by strict appointment only !! ACER PALMATUM VARIETIES       “Sango Kaku” or “Coral Bark Maple” is one of the most popular varieties in the nursery trade due to its fiery red bark coloration.  In the winter months, the bark color (after the leaves fall) looks almost fluorescent red. This fast growing vase-like “upright” makes a fine specimen tree and reaches about 18’ in height.       “Aocha Nishiki” is a green counterpart for the above mentioned Sango Kaku. It’s pale green lightly variegated leaves contrast well with the bright yellow-green bark. It matures at about 8 to 9 foot in height.       “Beni Kawa” is almost identical to Sango Kaku in bark color in the winter months; however, it is somewhat smaller than SK at its 10’ mature height. It leafs out a few weeks later than SK; which makes it less likely to get burned by a late hard freeze. The Japanese translation means “red bark”.       “Arakawa” (Rough Bark Maple) is a vigorous growing tree of 20 foot with yellow fall foliage whose rough bark character develops more with age. The corky and somewhat cracked, fissured look also makes it another favorite for bonsai.       “Beni Schichihenge” is a small, but hugely variegated variety of pink, white, orange, and green. Shrub-like in habit, it seems to take well to pruning. It matures at about 6 foot in height and width. We like it here much more than its cousin “Butterfly”.       “Beni Shigitatsu Sawa” is a reddish bronze variegated maple with darker maroon veining in spring. By summer, it develops an unusual tri-variegation of pink and cream, with darker green veining. It matures at about 12 foot; and also is known as “Aka shigitatsu sawa” meaning, “red snipes over a winter marsh”.       “Butterfly” is an upright white and green variegated small leaf maple that seems to sell well because of its name. As mentioned above, Beni Schichihenge seems to outperform it here, in our opinion.       “Higisayama” is another variegated (cream, pink, and dark green) upright variety that reaches 18 to 20 foot. It makes an unbelievable unfolding display in spring with its bright yellow buds and blood-red bud sheaths that makes it a favorite for maple collectors.                “Hogyoku”  is a vigorous upright of about 16 foot, and half as wide. As mentioned in J.D. Vertrees’ book (Japanese Maples), this variety signals fall like no other maple with its bright pumpkin orange color.       “Kinran”   The Japanese translation means “woven with golden strings”. This cultivar has deeply divided leaves of purple and red; with fall colors of gold and crimson-red. It matures at about 9 foot, and makes a nice container plant.       “Omurayama” is a slow growing upright of about 15 foot with a huge cascading habit of very long streaming light green branches that reminds me of a weeping willow. This weeping effect is only attained in the older trees.       “Oridono Nishiki” or “Orido Nishiki” is the Cadillac of variegated maples. It has a bold brilliance of pink, white, and green; with even some red tint coloration in the juvenile bark branches, and, vertical striping in the older bark. It matures at about 16 foot.       “Twombley’s Red Sentinel” is a vigorous upright of about 12 foot with small glossy red leaves that become darker red in summer. It is a smaller, but redder version of Bloodgood with more of an upright vase shape.       “Wou Nishiki” is a twiggy upright of about 10 to 12 foot that has a very Oriental look. Smaller bright green leaves with rose colored tints, that repeats in fall with rose to crimson-red coloration.   ACER  PALMATUM  DWARF  VARIETIES       “Aratama” is one of the very few red dwarfs. It is a very slow growing cultivar only reaching 3 foot in height. It has a dense leafed twiggy appearance and its purple-red leaves take straight sun very well. By late summer; it tends to revert back to green colorations. The “uncut gem” is highly sought after, because it is somewhat hard to propagate. It leafs out earlier in spring than other cultivars, making it susceptible to late hard freezes.       “Beni Maiko” is a small leafed shrub-like palmatum with bright red spring tones; reverting back to greenish red tints by summer; but regaining crimson tones once again in the fall. The Japanese translation means “red, a dancing girl”, and, it only reaches about 6’ and about as wide.       “Beni Komachi” is a red dwarf with curled leaves of about 8 foot in height. It has a very shiny wet look especially in the spring and seems to be a favorite of the bonsai specialists. The Japanese translation means “beautiful red-haired little girl”.       “Goshiki Kotohime” is a very slow growing upright dwarf of 5 foot with spring leaves of rose-orange to pastel pink, tightly layered. Leaf habit resembles Shishigashira, but GK is only about 1/3 the size at maturity.       “Kamagata” is a very tightly branched slow dwarf of about 1 meter in 10 years. Dark green rolled leaves with purple edges, fall colors of gold and bright orange.       “Kurui Jishi” is a slow growing upright dwarf of about 6 foot with rolled, cupped leaves of green, with gold and yellow colors for fall. Even the branching seems to have a curling, twisting growth habit.       “Mikawa Yatsubusa” is a highly desirable dwarf with multiple branching and very tightly overlaying leaf structure. Green summer leaves with bright red tips give way to fall colors of orange to red.       “Murasaki Kiyohime” is a 4 foot tall, but yet much wider, dwarf with very small yellow-green leaves and dark purple-red edged borders.       “Shishigashira” is a very slow growing dwarf, but, will eventually mature out at about 12 to 14 foot. Deep green crinkled stubby leaves are tightly bunched.       “Villa Taranto” is a ribbon leaf type shrub with light red to orange overtones over green with a lacy effect. It has a dome shaped growth habit with a mature 5 foot height.   ACER  JAPONICUM  VARIETIES       “Green Cascade” has brilliant fall colorations of orange and gold. It has a very strong cascading habit that takes well to center staking.   ACER  SHIRASAWANUM  VARIETIES       “Aureum” (golden full moon maple”) is one of my favorites here. It has a bright yellow stubby, layered, growth habit, accented by the bright red seed samaras. It is very high in demand; and, makes a fine container plant. The fall colors are orange with borders of purple and red.       “Moonrise” is a new introduction by our friend Carl Munn of Brooks, Oregon. I have seen some of Carl’s unbelievably stunning photos of its contrasting reds, and lime-green to gold colors.  Priceless!!   ACER  SIEBOLDIANUM  VARIETIES       “Sode-No-Uchi” is a tightly layered dwarf plant that will mature into a small shrub. Summer foliage of bright yellow-green gives way to fall colors of yellow to red. It also is very popular with the bonsai enthusiasts.        ACER  PALMATUM  DISSECTUM  VARIETIES  “Viridis” has a strong weeping, cascading form and its “lacy” light green foliage holds its color well all summer. It is a vigorous variety with a mature height of about 9 feet. Its leaves turn from green to gold and yellow-orange by late fall. It appears to be identical in appearance to Waterfall.   “Red Dragon” is a new introduction from Duncan and Davises of New Zealand.  A slower growing 6’ dwarf dissectum at maturity, with deeply divided leaves and crimson red color. It has a deeper red color in mid-summer than most of the other red dissectum varieties.     “Crimson Queen” is probably the most well known of all dissectums and has become a favorite in the nursery business, probably because it retains its deep red color through most of the year.  Its leaves will not scorch even in direct sun.  This strong growing variety has a nice weeping, cascading form and attains a mature 7’ height with a 10’ canopy.   “Ever Red” is best known for its new spring leaf foliage that resembles silver hairs.  This dissectum has a feathery cascading appearance and with some shading holds its red color well.     “Inaba Shidare” is one of the most vigorous growing, and somewhat upright erect forms of the red dissectums, but, may require some late afternoon shading. Its larger dissected leaves have a deeper purple to ruby red color and retain very well until fall.           “Tamukeyama” is a vigorous pendulous variety with dark red bark and crimson red foliage that eventually turns a darker purple-red. It is thought to do better in zones of high heat and humidity than other red dissectums.       “Orangeola” is a fairly new variety that has a much faster and more vigorous growing habit than most other red dissectums. Its fall leaves are orange-red and somewhat dense in a layering effect.        “Filigree” is a slower growing light green variegated variety with very fine lacy leaves with white to cream colored dots. It has a very compact and rounded shape maturing at only 5 foot. It seems to do better for us as a container plant.       “Watnong” is one of our favorites. Its bright reddish-pink spring foliage turns to green by summer. New summer growth shoots are red contrasting along side of the green leaves. By late fall, it reverts back to a bright pinkish-red.        “Garnet” is a red dissectum with saw-tooth edged leaves. It matures at a larger size than the other reds at about 9 foot in width and height. Its spreading growth habit tends to make it more desirable as a “high graft” than versus a low grafted plant.       “Seiryu” is an upright growing dissectum reaching a mature vase-shaped height of about 15 foot. Green lacy spring and summer foliage turns yellow gold to red-gold by late fall. The Japanese translation means “blue-green dragon”.       “Red Filigree Lace” or “Ruby Lace” is a very slow growing dwarf with dark purple red leaves that matures at about 4 foot, with a 5 foot spread. It makes a great container grown plant, with it’s almost “eyelash-like” finely divided leaves.