What a blazing-hot summer we’ve had! Even tough, heat-resistant plants struggled. Salvias and Frostweed looked miserable in my garden, Lambs Ear collapsed to the ground, and even reliable Dusty Miller curled up and sulked. After June’s heavy rains, everything grew like crazy—until the heat arrived.

Yet some plants thrived. Turk’s Cap, Texas Gold Columbine, Texas Rock Rose, Inland Sea Oats, Little Henry Sweetspire, and Gold Thread Spirea all came through beautifully.

And then there are the Japanese maples. Walking through my garden in early September, I’m struck by how many are still showstoppers. Even without their spring and fall displays of orange, red, and gold, they remain beautiful. A few may have crispy leaves or an occasional dead branch, but they are remarkably tough and usually return the following spring stronger than ever.

Get Ready for the 2026 Sale

The Dallas County Master Gardeners’ Japanese Maple Sale is coming up soon, and fall is an excellent time to plant a new tree.

This year, we have only 110 trees available. Larger inventories in previous years have sold out within the first couple of days, so mark your calendar:

Sale opens: September 27 at 8 a.m.

The trees are offered in two- and three-gallon nursery pots. They can remain in containers until you decide where to plant them, or you can put them directly into the ground. Japanese maples are surprisingly easy to transplant during their first year or two, so you can even relocate them later if you change your mind.

Why Japanese Maples?

Those of us who grow Japanese maples understand the attraction. I currently have 60, ranging from twelve-inch trees tucked into perennial beds to 14-18-foot trees providing shade for smaller cultivars.

Japanese maples are best grown as understory trees, making them perfect for a shady garden or an island bed beneath a larger tree. A weeping maple surrounded by shade-loving perennials can create a particularly beautiful garden feature.

And don’t assume every Japanese maple has red leaves. Many are green, and even cultivars that turn brilliant red in spring and fall may be green or bronze through our North Texas summers. One especially lovely green cultivar in this year’s sale is Aoyagi, whose layered leaves turn vivid yellow in fall.

Some of This Year’s Cultivars

Weeping Trees

Crimson Queen, Inaba Shidare, Ornatum, and Pendulum Julian
These cultivars are generally wider than they are tall and mature at about 10 feet or less after ten years. Their finely cut, lacy leaves are especially beautiful. They do best with morning sun and afternoon shade.

Dwarf Trees

Koto Hime — About 3 feet tall and wide after 10 years.
Koto Maru — About 4-5 feet tall and wide after 10 years.
Utsu Semi — Although reference books suggest it could eventually reach 12 feet, that may take 75-100 years. At 10 years, it will likely still be under 5 feet.

Taller Upright Trees

Emperor One, Nuresagi, and Trompenburg
All three are vigorous growers and offer beautiful fall color.

Sale Details

The sale will be conducted through SignUpGenius using this link. The link will become active at 8 a.m. on September 27 and remain open through 8 p.m. October 3, or until all trees are sold.

Tree pickup:
October 17, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
3015 Randy Lane
Farmers Branch, TX 75234

Trees not picked up during the designated delivery window will be donated.

So, if you’ve been thinking about adding a Japanese maple to your garden, this is the time to act. Set your alarm for September 27 at 8 a.m.—these 110 trees are likely to go quickly.