Davidsans Japanese Maples
MapleFolks always ask what my favorite Japanese Maple is and being in love with so many I them I just “hem and haw” then just say there are too many to have one favorite . But when they leave and I am walking thru the yard I always look at one tree and marvel how cool it is, how beautiful it is, and different it is .. That tree is the Umegae pictured below. Pronounced “OO MEH GUY ” but said as one word obviously. This is not an American or European JM but was discovered in Japan around 1882. Spring color is a deep red/ brown , summer it becomes bronze green and the fall a very nice orange with some scarlet mixed in … the branches are green and lend great contrast… and the leaves smaller but have super cool sharp pointy serrated lobes but not deeply divided making this a distinct Amoenum leaf form. The leaves also have nice green veins that help extenuate the color making them stunning in every season .. The tree is very graceful with a very nice form and character.. it can be opened up with a little trimming into more of a tree form than as shown .. In fact I have never trimmed this tree until today (2010) and that was just the bottom branches that needed it.. It was a three year old small tree when I bought it and has been in the ground going into it’s 9th season. So it is a slow grower .. I think, in anywhere but the most maple friendly places, it will stay below 8-10 ft. What is so special to me about this tree is it’s unusual season long interesting colors its graceful form and the fact that is is different than any other JM I have seen. A newbie with little knowledge could do the impossible and ID it .
My favorite Umegae story I love to tell is when I received it ..if I were a betting man (which I am not) I would have bet the farm this tree wouldn’t make it through the winter and would burn up in summer .. It just looks so delicate and graceful .. If I were a betting man I would have no farm now and would in fact be on the poor farm now, this tree is extremely hardy has taken cold down to -20 and goes all summer with little or no leaf burn …. The lesson is, you can’t tell hardiness or sun-worthiness by just a-lookin’.
Umegae is just a terrific tree, hard to get, but worth it .. It is truly Davidsan’s favorite tree.
David Myers, originally published 2010
2005
2010
2014
2017 (on the right)
Davidsan’s Favorite Japanese maples (D-san’s faves)
the best JMs in my opinion to buy grow and collect
Well after much thought I decided to post my favorite Japanese Maple(s).. And not just one .. Many of you know, Umegae is my favorite, however rare .. So I have decided to list several OTHER faves in each category.. for experienced collectors this will just seem like babble, but for newbies and inexperienced folks this can be of great help to get started or increase their new collection. You can’t go wrong with any of these trees. And please use the sap app that goes above and beyond this personal list. The sap app is linked below for easy access.
Click Here! SAP App Click Here!
UPRIGHT BRONZE: UPDATE!!!
Umegae, best fave, perfectly shaped leaves, striking bronze red/green color. Leaf and branch structure is horizontal and layered….. Mmm.
Upright RED (red most of season, if not all)
Moonfire ( this one has surprised me with its hardiness and all season red color … similar to Musashino but much lights up in late afternoon stunning )
Musashino ( My fav large red from 1710 in Japan .. there are two cultivars known as this both are super great best larger red tree period )
Yubae ( founded by the father of JMs J. D. Vertrees … easy to grow good red all season can take sun and -25 temps )
Okagami ( best chameleon like tree constantly changing colors )
Musa murasake ( Great color spring and fall and takes full sun without burn and does not seem to be bothered by wetness)
Fireglow ( Best all around easy to grow bright red JM ) Mature branches are SILVER.
Christy Anne ( This is a sleeper virtually unknown I absolutely love this tree pretty all season great curvy trunk just a stunner)
Uprights RED spring and fall
Shin deshojo (Absolutely the best spring and fall super bright red period … hardy and very nice, a definite fav of mine)
Shishio Improved Similar to above just ditto it
Uprights RED fall color
Osakazuki ( super fall red nothing beats it the best fall red tree, one great tree gorgeous )
Uprights ORANGE fall color
Hogyoku ( Best for orange that is actually orange … larger beefy and super pretty)
Ichigyoji ( Planted opposite of Osakazuki for red and orange color, although orange is never guaranteed. That’s how Vertrees saw them, (Planted near each other) but depending on soil (he was from Oregon with volcanic soil…you are not ) Ichi may not be orange for everyone but a fab tree in its own right and similar in form to Osakazuki) )
NEW ON THIS LIST!!! SCOTT’S ORANGE FLAME! It has green bark. Orange fall leaves. Nicely shaped cultivar. Classy.
Uprights GREEN
( will have fall color)
Shishigashira (want a weird tree… this one is for you. It will always be in my heart! The female lions head/mane, larger but a slow grower and doesn’t get very tall, a stunner that attracts attention)
Ukon (Also known as Aoyagi, both one of the best light green non Aureum types for those that want that cool it, green color but want something VERY easy to grow)
Green Star (I truly love this little known tree it is super cool star shaped leaves very pretty)
Upright YELLOW GOLD
Upright Update! It’s the best: JORDAN takes the cake, showy goldy green leaves with a cup-shape. New growth is yellow and you can spot this one from afar. SUPER hardy shirasawanum.
Moonrise .. (da absolute best of this group hands down)
Orange Dream (This one has surprised me! I would recommend it to anyone with just a bit of shade, VERY hardy. Very pretty.)
Autumn Moon (yellow green with pink blush. (very nice) )
Aureum (There is nothing else like it as far as its color . Very unique yellow green … needs mostly shade and a lot of TLC but with bigger trees little problems. Much better to donate your money to a worthy cause than to throw it away buying a small one)
Upright VARIEGATED
NEWS UPDATE!!!! Peve Multi-color. It has speckled leaves. And stripes. Green, dark green and white. Yes, stripes. Did I say it is new?
Taiyo nishiki
Sagara Nishiki
Searles Variegated
(all three have great variegation )
UPRIGHT COLUMNAR
JUST ADDED!!! VERNA JEAN, the prettiest columnar. Bright red-pink all summer, takes full sun and cold weather.
Twombly’s Red Sentinel ( Great all season red and tight upright Jm beautiful )
Tsukasa Silhouette ( Brand new and it is super vertically compact .. very pretty all season )
Both outstanding and truly columnar now you have a choice of green or red columnar .. will work well planted together as a pair but different!
Dwarf reds
Miyasayama Yatsubusa the only known dwarf Burgaranium.
Brandt’s Dwarf (Best all around red dwarf … very pretty)
Hime Shojo or Shojo Hime ….(best new red dwarf hands down very cool!!)
Yama hime (best red bigger dwarf)
Swat Margaret (best dwarf with tree form and more horizontal tree type branching)
Elizabeth My favorite red dwarf very very pretty!!
Royale Great smaller red, cool colors all season
Dwarf MULTI COLOR
Murasaki kiyo hime (My favorite multi coloreds dwarf .. very hardy and takes full sun well)
Kiyohime yatsubusa (same as above)
Yuri hime sport (This JM looks nothing like Yuri hime but is a super dwarf fast growing and super easy to care for, great for beginners)
Kamagata (great for bonsai or yard planting easy to keep small tiny leaves very pretty)
Kawaii!!!! NEW Dwarf Japonicum Update. It’s adorable and multi-variegated red and green. Cool shape, tiny and horizontal.
(If you are looking for a nice hardy very pretty dwarf that stays small you have hit the jackpot with any of the above)
Dwarf GREEN
(will have fall color)
Ojishi (Super cool leaves, it is the male dwarf shishigashira, very compact, place anywhere with a bit of shade or not, stays small!! )
Sir Happy!! (Is super rare super small and super cool! He is the smallest dwarf I have ever seen. Three inches tall and the leaves are so tiny I can’t measure them. 3 ft in 10 years? I don’t think so. I challenge you to find another one. Anywhere. Use a magnifier.)
Ryuzu (great for bonsai when young)
Ryusen ( THE BEST WEEPER I HAVE EVER SEEN!! Also Available grafted on VERY MATURE SIX FEET TALL Pine Bark maple trunk. super super cool pine bark trunk with a true heavy weeper up top; it weeps straight to the ground and beyond. ASTOUNDING LOOK !! It’s classy, not tacky like those multiple grafted trees by folks with no taste this one is an eye opener.)
Dwarfs YELLOW/GOLD
Akane (Very nice yellow throughout the season, with a bit of shade, Galesan, my wife’s, favorite tree )
Summer Gold (New last year .. I was VERY impressed with it’s color and took the heat a bit better than Akane, maybe best for south in shady place)
Mr. Sun (A great dwarf shirasawanam. Pointy, pointy deep green leaves.)
(ALL OF THESE VERY COOL!! ALL VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE RUN OF THE MILL JM) If you want a truly different cultivar choose one of these
Dissectum RED
Brocade (has red flashes of new growth all season very rare with JMs very very pretty)
Red Dragon (the hardiest of the reds and a bit more upright .. this is a winner)
Stella Rossa (I have fallen for this tree, a very hardy, very fast grower with pizazz!! super cool)
Octopus (I love this one, it spreads out horizontally and stays small, twisting limbs but compact, everything you want in a smaller dissectum)
(ALL THREE ARE TREMENDOUS IN THEIR OWN RIGHT AND WORTH HAVING ALL HARDY AND CAN TAKE SOME SUN)
Dissectum ORANGE
EVERYONE’S NEW FAVORITE!! Otto’s Dissectum. Even with that name, it’s selling like crazy. Prettiest tree in our gardens. The. Prettiest.
Orangeola (AS LONG AS NOT TO WET AND COLD IT IS A GORGEOUS TREE)
Jeddeloh Orange (is the most upright and the closest yet to make the grade other than the two mentioned below … very pretty all season .. a keeper)
Dissectum Green
(red or multi color in fall)
Washi no o (BEST ALL AROUND FOR RUGGED CONDITIONS)
Autumn Fire (NEW AND WORTH GETTING BEAUTIFUL IN FALL GREAT FORM)
Watnong (I LOVE THIS ONE)
Dissectum YELLOW/ GREEN
Emerald Lace (THE BEST ALL AROUND HARDY, SUN-TAKING DISSECTUM HANDS DOWN!!)
Sunset (Is so horizontal, it can grow just above the ground. (GREAT FOR SOUTH) )
Dissectum VARIEGATED
Toyama nishiki …
Hana Matoi: Can you say Green. White. and HOT PINK??
(BOTH TOP DRAWER)
DISSECTUM Upright (Upright?)
Seiryu Pretty, green, ferny, tiny leaves and sturdy in the wind.
(THIS IS IN MY TOP FIVE FAVE TREES! HARDY! TAKES FULL SUN! AND BEAUTIFUL! JUST A GREAT TREE!)
YEP… it’s the only current true upright dissectum … many pretenders but no other true upright dissectum. There is a red upright dissectum in Japan guarded by a 12 ft electrified fence … it will be many years ’til that one is available but when it is it will be at Davidsan’s asap.
WE HAVE THESE NOW IN 2019