Autumn Color
The arrival of autumn has brought a striking display of reds, oranges and yellows across the region, with Japanese Maples showing particularly vivid hues following a warm summer and a dry fall.
A wide range of Japanese Maple varieties exists, offering distinct foliage and color throughout the year rather than only in autumn. Cultivars are available to suit sunny or shaded locations, and to grow either in the ground or in containers.
The trees can provide decades of color and structure in a garden setting. However, acquiring them can become a habit, as additional specimens have a tendency to end up in personal collections.
Local public gardens offer an opportunity to view mature specimens. Evergreen Arboretum and Gardens, located at Legion Park in North Everett, functions as a public space where visitors can observe Japanese Maples that are 20, 30 or 40 years old.
While younger trees are often available at retail outlets, viewing established trees at the Arboretum provides a clearer indication of their eventual shape and size. Several specific varieties are located along the pathways and on the Viewing Mound, including the Omureyama, Osakazuki, Beni Komachi, Shindeshojo, Shigatatsu sawa, and Autumn Moon.
The gardens currently contain approximately 85 different types of Japanese Maples.
The world of Japanese Maples traces back centuries in (you guessed it!) Japan, its native habit. Their popularity has induced breeders all over the world to seek out and graft new and exciting variants, resulting in hundreds of distinct flavors to choose from. Some are even crossing species, to increase winter hardiness and mix up foliage options. Japanese Maples will always be Acer palmatum (or Acer palmatum dissectum for lace leaf types), but hybrids with Korean maple (Acer pseudosieboldianum) in particular offer vastly greater winter temperature hardiness. This has opened up some other areas of the country to the world of Japanese Maples, including our gardening friends in the colder parts of Eastern Washington.
Iseli Nursery is a world-renowned grower of cool conifers and unique Japanese Maples right down in Oregon near Mount Hood. They are wholesale only but you can find specimens of superior quality grown by them at many local garden centers. If you love Maples, Conifers and other cool companion plants and want to geek out on a plant website, I dare you to escape theirs in less than an hour! After some 20 years of breeding, they have introduced two excellent trademarked groups of maples, the Pacific Rim Collection and the Jack Frost Collection. The outstanding members of both of these groups (crosses of A. palmatum and A. pseudosieboldianum) are exactly what I mentioned above, exhibiting the best qualities of both of the species. In the Evergreen Arboretum mentioned above, I have planted nearly all of the flavors of both over the years and continue to enjoy each and every one of them. This week we will delve into the Jack Frost Collection, then I will continue the maple mania next week with more tips and some descriptions on the Pacific Rim Collection.
Alpenglow: This recent introduction glows with deep red spring foliage, maturing to bronzy-red in the heat of the summer, then finally blazing orange-red in the fall. A stately garden specimen with excellent branching for sun, maturing to about 20-feet tall and 15-feet wide.
Arctic Gold: A brand new one for fellow yellow lovers, opening with chartreuse to yellow color in spring, glowing gold in summer and finally bright yellow to orange in autumn. This lovely grower is on the bushy side and will mature at 20-feet tall and 15-feet wide, but is best grown in shade as an understory tree or in morning sun at most.
Ice Dragon: This is one of my personal favs as it looks like a lace leaf maple on steroids. This stunner leafs out with some orangey-red color, maturing to green with red tips in summer and finally a beautiful blend of yellow, orange and red in fall. The cascading habit and dissected foliage looks lace leaf for sure, but plants reach an impressive 10-feet tall and 15-feet wide over time. Ice Dragon is a perfect specimen plant with great foliage, color, texture and lovely branching.
North Wind and Arctic Jade, two larger Japanese maple varieties, each reach up to 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide, showcasing vibrant fall displays in shades of orange and red. North Wind emerges in spring with reddish-new growth that matures to a clean, bright green, while Arctic Jade distinguishes itself with deeply dissected, lacy foliage reminiscent of the Peacock maple. A newer addition, Winter Queen, appeals to enthusiasts of red lace leaf maples and stands out for its exceptional cold tolerance, making it well-suited for northern gardens.
Japanese maples consistently draw admiration, particularly during autumn when their foliage reaches peak brilliance. At this time of year, local nurseries typically feature a diverse selection, including both newer cultivars and time-tested classics. Consulting with a certified professional horticulturist can help match the right specimen to specific site conditions and design goals. A free educational session is scheduled for Saturday, October 24, at 10 a.m., offering an introduction to cultivation, pruning techniques, and standout varieties known for vivid seasonal color.
Trevor Cameron, general manager at Sunnyside Nursery in Marysville and a certified professional horticulturist, leads the upcoming class. He can be contacted at [email protected].