Japanese maple says it's still autumn
Is it just me, or do you see an elfin face too? Hi, there!
Although our Christmas tree is up, colored lights glow on our neighbors’ houses, and a few holiday cards line the mantle, the Japanese maple knows that autumn isn’t over yet. Hold on, it says, fall still has 8 days to go!
I’m very pleased that this tree is doing so well after the summer we just endured and the water rationing we were on. It’s a testament to good siting, I think: north-facing under the shade of a live oak. It was planted much too close to the house by previous owners, but the cool, shady location suits it. Last year the fall color was more intense, really fiery, but I’m not complaining about this show either.
If you aspire to grow Japanese maples here in Austin, you might want to visit last year’s post about my species Acer palmatum and read the extremely helpful comments from Blake, a Japanese maple enthusiast from Dallas.
By the way, as you take pictures for your Bloom Day post this month, I hope you’ll take time to snap a few images of memorable foliage in your garden too, for Foliage Follow-Up on the day after Bloom Day (the 16th of each month). We’re going to give foliage its due! Bark, seedpods, cones, etc. deserve appreciation too.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I casually aspire to growing Japanese maples, and photos like these make me aspire even more. I got a few photos of the Japanese maples we saw at the San Antonio Botanical Gardens, but the brilliant red color against the blue of the sky looked so artificial (though it wasn’t) that I didn’t post it. 🙂
You should have, Rachel. Red leaves and blue sky sound like a perfect fall image to me. —Pam
(Funny – I just realized that I left almost the exact same comment on your post from last year, minus the reference to the San Antonio field trip, of course. 🙂 I still aspire to growing to Japanese maples, but I’m not convinced that I have the perfect site for them yet, so I’ll wait.)
Just beautiful, Pam! I’m still looking for the perfect site here to plant a Japanese maple, but until then I’ll enjoy your gorgeous specimen. Great to see some fall color–here in the Midwest it’s a white and brown color scheme:)
Such a pretty tree. Thanks for the Fall Foliage reminder. I think my JM will hang on to its leaves until then (and it’s looking its best right now!).
I noticed you have this in the front yard. The deer don’t bother it?
Maybe, there’s hope for me to have one here. We have LOTS of hungry deer, though.
The deer don’t browse the leaves or branches, but one of the main trunks is damaged from bucks rubbing their antlers on it. I have chicken wire wrapped loosely around the trunk right now, which looks really great—not! —Pam
It’s a wonderful sight to see that red against the blue sky…I love that gardeners push the climate envelopes and figure out how to get what they want. gail
I was determined to find the elfin face! After looking too hard probably, I found it!! I don’t think anyone else has mentioned it so I guess I win the big prize. What? No prize??? Oh well. . .
No prize, Judy, only the satisfaction of knowing that you and I can see faces where no one else does, apparently! 😉 —Pam
Umm, I couldn’t find the face. 🙁 The leaves are beautiful now. It may still be fall in Austin, but it’s definitely winter here in Chicagoland. I’ll be hard pressed to find any leaves not covered in snow for a foliage followup.
It doesn’t have to be leaves for Foliage Follow-Up, MMD. Snow-lined branches, fir cones, beautiful bark—that should all be celebrated too. —Pam
Stunning photos! A maple is the tree that just keeps on giving!
I love japanese maples but it was a long time ago that they have leaves like that here in Sweden. The time is running so fast….soon it’s spring again.
OK..we take the Cristmas hollydays first.
Wish you and your family a Marry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Ken
And the same to you, Ken. Spring will be returning to Austin by February. But I’m still enjoying winter first! —Pam
Fabulous foliage! Thanks for the link back to Blake’s comments.
An additional note, JMs need to be fenced from deer in early years.
Thanks for sharing that info, Kathleen. I bet nearly every tree needs to be protected from deer in its early years, eh? —Pam
The deer like to rub their antlers on the Japanese Maples here too. I guess it’s the nice smooth bark. Such a bummer when it happens.
What a lovely tree putting on a great show. The conditions this year must have been unusual because our oak trees still have their leaves and they are always down by November. Can’t see that elf though.
Gorgeous photos Pam. Just yesterday I was driving home and admiring all of the fall color here in Houston. It seems so strange, since Christmas decorations are up, and it snowed here last week and tomorrow it will be in the 70’s they say. Our climate here can be challenging with these overlapping and random seasons.
I’m so glad your beautiful Japanese maple survived summer’s onslaught. All of mine are also doing well, but they lost their leaves before that last hard freeze.~~Dee
Hi,
I’d like to point out that Metro Maples from Ft Worth has a website about growing Japanese maples including a list of which cultivar works best for Texas hot summer and on how to care for it. Also, it sells ‘Fire Dragon’ shantung maple (for its consistent red fall color unlike typical yellow fall color) which is much easier to grow than Japanese maple for full hot windy condition in poor soil like mine (alkaline rocky limestone soil). Thought I’d point it out if anyone wants to have a nice maple with red fall color in full sun, ‘Fire Dragon’ shantung maple is an excellent one. I noticed that you visited Dallas Arboretum. It has ‘Fire Dragon’. It may be a few years before it’s big enough to be noticed. You should try Fort Worth Botanical Garden during the fall (and Metro Maples too) to look at the fall color of Japanese maples and others. Ft Worth Botanical Garden has ‘Fire Dragon’ too if you ever go there and visit. Another great (and free) arboretum is at Stephen F Austin State University during the spring to see all of azaleas blooming and fall too for many kind of maples turning colors.
Thanks for all the useful information, Louis! —Pam