The Dallas County Master Gardeners Association (DCMGA) held a Japanese maple tree sale last year and sold out of trees almost as soon as they were posted for sale. This year we are having the sale again, offering approximately 135 trees in one and two-gallon nursery pots. These small trees will do well in a container until you find a place for them in your garden. In fact, many of them will be perfectly happy in a container for several years.

Some Japanese maples reach a height of 15-20 feet, but most have a mature height of 5-12 feet; and they are typically quite slow growing, adding only an inch or two a year in some cases. Every garden has room for one of these beauties, and the good news is that they prefer afternoon shade, so they are a wonderful understory plant. Of the tree varieties we will have listed for sale, the ones that will grow taller than 12 feet are: Sango Kaku, Red Baron, Trompenburg, Seiryu, Vitifolium and Red Emperor. All the others can be expected to stay shorter.

One of the shortest trees offered for sale, Mikawa Yatsubusa, is very slow growing with a mature height of only 5 feet. Its bright green leaves are closely layered up and down its branches and turn brilliant yellow and scarlet in the fall. This petite little thing is so highly prized and respected that it was awarded the North American Maple Society’s Maple of the Year award in 2015.

Gardeners who are not totally familiar with Japanese maples may be surprised that they do not all have red leaves. There are at least a thousand varieties, and many of them have green leaves throughout the summer. Almost every Japanese maple does, however, have beautiful spring and fall colors of red, gold, burgundy, or even purple. Their vibrant show is a delight to see. Shin Deshojo, which is being offered at this year’s sale, has remarkable color in both spring and fall, with leaves painted in pinks, reds, and golds on a trunk that stays emerald green.

Three varieties of trees with lacy leaves are being offered at the sale: Orangeola, Seiryu, and Crimson Queen. Orangeola and Crimson Queen, like most Japanese maples with lacy leaves, have leaves that are red, orange, or burgundy. Seiryu, however, is the only upright Japanese maple cultivar that has lacy green leaves. Its leaves are stunning.

In contrast to lacy leaves, the Vitifolium has very large and interesting leaves that are quite eye-catching. It is a green-leaf tree that has glorious, reddish-orange fall color.

Another interesting tree to consider is Oto Hime, a faster-growing, horizontal dwarf Japanese maple that matures at 4 feet high and 9 feet wide after many years. Its very small green leaves are edged with red in spring, and yellow or red in the fall. Trees that are wider than they are tall are a striking architectural element in the garden, whether in a container or in the ground, and Oto Hime fits the criteria perfectly. It can tolerate 1-2 hours of sun.

Before planting your new tree in the garden, read the label for sun tolerance. Most will need afternoon shade, and many will even succeed in full shade. Japanese maples adapt to most soil types but adding a little shredded pine bark mulch will facilitate good drainage. Water regularly so the soil is moist but never soggy. Japanese maples do not like soggy roots.

If you transplant a Japanese maple from one pot to another, only go up one pot size and use a well-draining soil, amended with shredded pine bark.

The Japanese maple sale will be held via SignUpGenius, which you can access via the link below. The link will provide you a complete list and description of trees for sale. You cannot purchase any trees, however, until the link goes active at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, October 7^th. The link will remain active until Wednesday, October 13^th at 9:00 p.m.; or until all trees have been sold. You can choose and pay for up to four trees.

Trees must be picked up on Thursday, October 27th after the DCMGA annual business meeting at Raincatcher’s Garden (Midway Hills Christian Church, 11001 Midway Rd, Dallas, TX). The meeting is scheduled to end at 1:00 p.m. and trees must be picked up no later than 2:00 p.m.

Please press Ctrl on your keyboard and left click at the same time on the following link for access to SignUpGenius:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/805084EAFAD22A4FC1-japanese1