Japanese Maple Coral Bark

[vfem]

Now, when I bought my home with my husband I was gifted a tiny Japanese Maple tree. It was maybe a whole 3" tall in a little green pot. It was a sapling that had popped up next to a parent tree. The man who gave it to us was a horticulturalist that was retired living in the retirement community my mother worked at.

He gave me some care instructions, and MAY (?) have told my mother the type, but she couldn't remember and kept forgetting to ask. Sadly, this gentlemen past away and I'm never to know.

Now my tree is 18", and it has been in a bad spot now for the last two years, so yesterday I moved it up next to the house... only about 3' from the foundation.

When I first started researching it, it appeared to be a variety that only got about 8' tall, and called for wind protection... so I thought that to be a perfect spot. Now as I look, it appears to be a Coral Bark variety (it has naked red bark showing all winter, a pretty color indeed) and this variety look to get about 20'!

Should I move the tree again, or wait a few more years to move the tree again? And are there other varieties and sizes it could be with the red bark over the winter?

This japanese maple has green leaves during the summer, not the red variety.

Thanks for any help... this tree means a lot to me.

 

[bid]

Three feet seems awful close to your house. You are almost going to have to move it at some point in the future. Have you thought about putting it in a container for a while? It would make a nice accent piece on your front porch or your deck and as small as it is you could move it around for optimal growth or protection as you want. That's just one idea.

 

[vfem]

I've thought about it a bit, I just hate having like no shady area really accept that corner of the house. (we have like NO trees)

My issues is also windows on the west side of the house.

I don't have the best yard for the poor thing, but its slow growing... so maybe I can enjoy it there by the driveway for a few more years and then move it later?

I'm adding some accent trees and making more beds, maybe I can find a more suitable spot as everything around here grows.

No matter how much more I've looked, it appears that I have a Coral Bark version and no other option. Don't get me wrong... its GORGEOUS!!!!

 

[bid]

No matter how much more I've looked, it appears that I have a Coral Bark version and no other option. Don't get me wrong... its GORGEOUS!!!!

Yeah, I want one! That is a beautiful tree. Sounds like you have a good plan. I just figured it would be really easy to move now, but since you haven't really picked a permanent location yet, you have it in a good spot to get some size to it.

 

[ducks4you]

I agree with potting. It will be less stressful to repot rather than digging up and risking cutting roots, even if it ends up in a huge pot before it finally goes into the ground again, and you can move it around to see where it likes it best, before you decide on it's permanent home. (You can move the whole thing with a dolly! ) My fruit trees were over 5 foot tall when I bought them, and they were in relatively small pots, that I've recycled (right now they have geraniums and are sitting by basement windows).

I agree, too, that 3 feet from the house is too close--it might eat away at your foundation of the house.

BTW, I heard that it's a good idea to put a ribbon or cord on the north of your tree so it's always facing the same way.

 

[vfem]

Never heard that about the ribbon before, but its a good idea!