Do you want a beautiful ornamental tree to showcase in your garden? Do you want your garden to be filled with beautiful colors and shades?
Then weeping Japanese maple trees will be a perfect choice for you.
Are you wondering about how How to Grow a Weeping Japanese Maple Tree? Then don’t worry. We got your back. We have curated the growing and caring guide of a weeping Japanese maple tree.
So let’s dive into the article below to learn more about this beautiful ornamental plant.
Plant Overview
The weeping Japanese maple tree or scientifically named the Acer palmatum var. dissectum is a small beautiful ornamental tree with a dissected leaf. It is also referred to as the laceleaf Japanese maple, cutleaf Japanese maple, or threadleaf Japanese maple.
This plant is native to Japan, Korea, and China and is grown abundantly in northwest countries.
The foliage of weeping Japanese maple comes in shades of red to bright green and all the cultivars have a vibrant fall color of yellow, orange, and crimson in the autumn (fall)
The weeping Japanese Maple is a very beautiful tree with its low arching branches that reaches the ground. This plant grows slowly and requires low maintenance.
The small size of the plant makes it perfect for small gardens, and it is also can be planted impressively in a large container. The cascading branches of the tree spread in a dome shape that adds a delicate, fern-like graceful form in a garden.
It makes a weeping Japanese maple tree to be a must-have tree in the garden especially if you have a Japanese-themed garden.
Varieties of weeping Japanese maple
There are many different varieties of Japanese weeping maples available in the market to choose from. Here are some of the popular varieties of them that stand out.
Crimson Queen
As the name suggests, the crimson queen is very popular for its crimson red growth that emerges in spring and sustains throughout the growing season, ‘Crimson Queen’s plant practically demands fealty along with its gorgeous leaves.
When autumn arrives, the redness of the foliage changes from a blood-red crimson to a bright-red scarlet. Along with all of the combination of the beautifully cascading branches, ‘Crimson Queen’ can surely make a wonderful addition to the garden.
Inaba Shidare
If you want a red, large-leafed, and sturdy Weeping Japanese maple cultivar, then ‘Inaba Shidare’ is the one for you. During the growing season, this variety emerges the six-inch-wide foliage with a purple-red shade before turning a bright crimson in fall.
‘Inaba Shidare’ also attains a fast growth rate than other cultivars and is cold-hardy to boot, making it more than just a pretty face tree.
Seiryu
In the resistance of its Japanese weeping maple, ‘Seiryu’ is a popular variety of it that has an upright growing habit and stands tall while its brethren are fit to droop. Along with a rich green color of foliage during the growing season, its foliage turns into shades of gold, orange, and orange-red during autumn.
This variety is a bit taller than average varieties as well, attaining a mature height of 10 to 15 feet.
To make it short – if you like the beautiful Japanese weeping maple but dislike the “weeping” part of it, and you also want something other than a standard and simple Japanese maple that gives your garden an aesthetic attire, then ‘Seiryu’ is for you.
Viridis
Along with seven- to nine-lobed beautiful foliage starting off from green in spring and turning yellow-gold or red in fall, ‘Viridis’ is a widely available cultivar of weeping Japanese maple.
With its varied color shades during different times of the year, gardeners always are able to find a suitable space in their landscape where the hues of ‘Viridis’ will complement the garden and plantings around it.
Waterfall
‘Waterfall’ is very much similar to the ‘Viridis,’ variety except for its large, three- to five-inch-long, attractive, and equally wide leaves. It has a little more shrub-like look than ‘Viridis,’ with a more rounded form.
There is a significant difference between both varieties for sure… but the ‘Waterfall’ is nevertheless an essential cultivar option for any diehard Japanese weeping maple collector to own.
How to grow Weeping Japanese Maple?
The weeping Japanese maples can be planted any time of year but the effective time to plant is because autumn will allow the plant to show its true color with the autumn leaves without having to faith on the label picture.
Before purchasing your plant, ask the nursery staff if your maple can be grown locally or not. If it was grown somewhere much colder than your place, then it’s unlikely to repeat the intensity of autumn colors in your warmer climate in future times.
To plant your weeping Japanese maple, choose a place that can get full sun in cooler climates but dappled afternoon shade in warmer regions. Although Japanese maples are frost tolerant, they may need protection from wind, especially in summer as it can dry out the leaves and cause tip scorching.
Before planting, Prepare your soil with some organic matter like manure, compost, and certified organic pelletized fertilizer. Dig a hole in the soil twice the size of the root ball and plant it out.
If you are planting your maple into clay soil, it is recommended to apply some eco-flo gypsum to the soil before planting to help improve drainage. Plant your maple and water it in with eco-seaweed.
Spread some organic mulch to the soil around the base to keep weeds at bay and retain soil moisture. Ensure watering the plant deeply especially in the warmer months until your maple establishes.
How to care for a weeping Japanese maple tree?
Although the weeping Japanese maple tree is a low-maintenance plant thatdoesn’tt require any care, a little care can encourage the growth and enhanced structure of foliage. Like any other plant, proper cultivation is essential for the maple for ideal health and aesthetics.
Climate and exposure
Japanese weeping maples grow best in the USDA Hardiness Zones 5 to 8. So make sure not to plant your tree in the north or south of these regions.
The plant requires partial shade to grow. Full sun can scorch the leaves of the plant whereas full shade can fall the color of the leaves. So not too much, not too little, Just provide the right amount of light.
Soil
The weeping Japanese maple requires well-draining soil to grow in. This plant can be grown with many different soil textures, but it is recommended to improve the drainage to plant in clay is a hassle. So make a space in your garden with a silt loam or sandy texture if possible.
The maple thrives to grow in lightly acidic soils, so shoot for a soil pH somewhere in the range of 5.5 to 6.5.
Water
Until the weeping Japanese maple is established, the soil where it is planted should be kept moist. Afterward, they only require moderate supplemental irrigation. In general, don’t water it too often and wait until the top couple inches of soil are dry before watering in the absence of rain.
Fertilizer
If you are providing fertilizer to your plant, feed it in spring and autumn with some compost, manure, or a certified organic pelletised fertilizer. In addition, you can add regular drenches of eco-amino gro and eco-seaweed every 2-4 weeks which will surely give amazing results and help build strong and healthy plants.
In particular, organic fertilization is required to build up cell strength in the leaves which is really important in arid or windy climates. Mulch the top of the soil to help conserve water loss.
Japanese maples don’t like to grow in hot dry conditions and must require an adequate amount of water during summer to look their best. It is suggested to apply eco-hydrate to your soil every month during hot seasons to ensure the moisture retention around the roots.
How to prune a weeping Japanese maple tree?
Pruning can benefits a young tree to attain an attractive overall shape. However, mature weeping Japanese maple trees generally do not need much pruning. it is only required to maintain their size, shape, or a particular form in your garden.
One of the best-valued features of a weeping Japanese maple tree is the beautiful decorative branch structure. Pruning can help the plant to enhance the main stem and to maintain the weeping form of the branches which is especially enjoyed during the winter season.
Most gardeners enjoy the pruning of the mature weeping Japanese maple tree by maintaining an annual light prune as their tree matures. In the winter season, it is recommended to take out some of the sucker growth from the plant to open up the canopy and draw attention to the weeping branches.
Any kind of pruning is suggested to do in the late winter and before the new spring foliage. You can also remove any winter deadwood and any branches that are crossing over and rubbing your plant.
Conclusion
As you read the article this far, you might get the idea of how to grow and care for weeping Japanese maple trees in your garden.
Then what are you waiting for?
Bring this plant to your home and give your garden a beautiful and aesthetic look with its red foliage.
You may also like to read
