Japanese Maple Trees

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

03 Nov 2007 08:54 AM

These beautiful trees offer brilliant color in the fall and come in lots of great shapes and sizes, making them a welcome addition to any landscape. Learn how you can incorporate these trees into your yard.

In our old home, we had a very small yard, both front and back, a far cry from the two acres we have now, But one thing that we did have at that old place that I really miss is the Japanese maple tree that stood sentinel before our home, giving us plenty of beauty in the suburban neighborhood.

One of the first trees that we will most likely incorporate into some new landscaping at our new home will be the Japanese maple. These trees are so versatile in design. They can do everything from anchor a small space, even a terrace garden, to edge a lawn. They make wonderful additions to either side of a wooded path, or can be highlighted as a specimen plant at the edge of a pond or in the middle of your lawn.

The spectacular fall color they present make them attractive trees, so be sure to position them where they will be seen. And in winter, the intricate form of their branches will create a pleasing design against the gray-blue sky. I remember just last year how our Japanese maple tree, all covered in ice shone like a winter star.

Japanese maple trees can be purchased as plants grown from a graft or from a seed. Although slightly more expensive, graft-grown trees are the best bet. A tree grown from a graft will be a close copy of the parent tree, while a seed-grown tree can yield some surprises. How can you tell which is which? Trees grown from grafts will be named after the parent tree, such as "Gold Hills" or "Blood Orange."

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

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