You have every reason to be concerned with sun scorch...David has been LUCKY and maybe his gets LITTLE sun ......if it gets sun it will burn to a crisp they are also really suseptable to overwatering so Be CAREFUL and the combo of excessive sun and water is DEATH ..but be aware for the aureum to get color it needs sun and enough water.....truely a cranundrum ....contrary to popular belief the autumn moon will also burn and also needs sun to achieve it's beauty as well...but it IS much more adaptable to varias conditions than the aureum..and less suseptable to water or sun strke ;>)and should at least survive..
I have no scientific proof but my first aureum was toast wi/in 2 months only getting morn sun but my autumn moon is fine although it did loose it's first set of leaves and they were planted about 10 feet apart both morn sun only!! both three year olds ...David is also correct go with the oldest most established plant you can afford and good luck ...
I vote autumn moon it's also abit more interesting having a bit more redish brownish colors throughout the season...It defintly seems hardier although both should do ok in northern areas as most A.s. do...but they cost about the same and if you learn how to grow the "easier AM...then maybe your up for the harder to grow A. David (M)

Lucy,

I have a 6 or 7 year old aureum Golden Fullmoon in a 7 gallon container on the northside of my home in TX(gets about 3-4 hours of late afternoon sun). Last year was its first full year in TX(I got this from CA), and the TX summer was brutal with over 60 days or something of consecutive 100 degree temperature. I have about 15 other varieties in the same location, and to my surprise the aureum GFM stood up best to the heat. It had the least leaf scorch and had all its leaves till november, while most of the others red dragon, fireglow, crimson queen etc were fried by august. The only other to do well was orange dream, go figure!. I am going to see how it does this year.

xman

Here is a link that might be useful: My aureum last year

Hi Lucy and David,

The full sun my Aureum gets is generally before 12:30 or 1 so I miss the hottest part of the day and it is just a couple of hours worth. David is right about which one is easier to grow. Now to make things even more confusing there is a new one that is being released called Moonrise. It is suppose to much easier to grow that either and more sun tolerant so it might be the best landscape plant of the three.
David

Thanks All!
xman I loved the pictures! Altho both trees looked so nice there that it just made it harder!

Lucille at Whitman farms has 1 gallon pots for $25 (with another $15 for shipping) which sounded reasonable to me and she recommended 'Autumn Moon' as well. I just love every picture I've ever seen of 'Aureum'. For $40 I wouldn't be too heartbroken if it didn't make it, so I'm still tempted to give Aureum a try and keep Autumn Moon as a back-up idea. I don't have room for both, tho I wish I did!

It will have a fairly protected spot with house, garage and deck on three sides (all white to reflect light) and a large trunked tree to the north. Since my dog passed away I'll have to wrap it against rabbits in the winter so maybe that will give it some extra protection from the cold. I had planned on raising that bed a bit before I planted it - now I will probably build it a bit higher for even better drainage.

It's so great to be able to kick around ideas with people who've actually grown these trees. If it doesn't make it I'll know I was warned. I still haven't completely made up my mind, but thanks everyone!

I will be giving the Aureum a 2nd try this year. Last spring I got a fresh graft that bit it. I'll blame the freshness of the graft. This year I bought a larger 5gal from Forest Farm. Hopefully David's advice about getting the larger one works. It would suck if I have to blame myself for its demise this time around. I still have to try the Autumn Moon and once I start seeing Moonrise available, then I am sure I will lust for that also.

Willis

Lucy, I had to respond because these are my 2 favorite maples. I love both of these maples, but have to admit I really love the leaf shape of 'Aureum', so I understand your preference for this plant. I agree with picea that you are more likely to have problems with winter hardiness than you will with leaf scorch with the exposure you've mentioned. You may have some initially, but I don't think it will be a long term problem as it establishes itself. I also agree that the bigger the better as far as this maple goes. This was one of my first Japanese maples and my one gallon plant didn't last long. It didn't make it through the first winter. Not to be discouraged I purchased a 3-5 gallon plant(can't remember for sure but about 24" in height) This will be the seventh year that I've had it and the opening of its leaves is one of my favorite parts of Spring. Don't get me wrong 'Autumn Moon' is no slouch either and the orange color you can get in spring with the right amount of sun is awesome. My recommendation would be to get a 3-5 gallon 'Aureum' if you can find one and you can always find room for a 1 gallon 'Autumn Moon' even if your garden is small. They grow really slowly in our climate. I've posted these pictures before but here are some of my favorite pics from these 2 maples. Can't wait to see how they improve this year.

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fall coloration
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'Autumn Moon' shows its stuff
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fall coloration:
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Good luck and go for it! Hope to see pictures of your favorite maples on the forum for years to come! Dan

There are several things to remember when purchasing such a large thin leaf "delicate" (imho) JM . The tree has been grown in wash. or. or some climate vastly differnt than many of of live. I would suggest deep shade for at least a momth and purchaseing any such tree in the spring just after frost danger ...gradually moveing to sun !!! I would also say the farther north you are the less likely your problem will be summer kaputting but rather winter hardiness ...either way, plant as folks have suggested, an older established plant with more root system ..Finally overwatering such plants especially in combo with really hot summers can be a killer. In closing I am a firm believer in micro climares natual or man made ...you MAY do well with more tender plants than someone a block away simply from proper placement or placement that is more natually suitable. And REALLY in closing ...if you are a newbie start with a simple boloodgood or other locally avaiable JM and learn a bit about them first ..David

Thanks all,
Dan how about I just steal your whole garden! Awesome pictures and the blue iris in among the aureum foliage is inspired!

Everyone else thank you again for both your patience and willingness to share.

I think I have a fairly good microclimate for the JM - has anyone here tried any type of winter protection on a younger tree? I have access to hay bales that I could pile around in in winter - etc. for atleast the first couple of years. I'm going to have to surround it with chicken wire to keep the rabbits from munching it anyhow.

Thanks to your info I'm considering going with a larger tree, I really appreciate all the great info.

Sincerely,
Lucy

Dan,

Amazing color composition! I was actually inspired to get my aureum GFM after looking at pictures of your tree, even though I was warned that it would not make it in TX.
What is the yellowish Japanese maple in the last picture? Was this last picture in spring or fall?
thanks,
xman

xman, that is the fall coloration of Acer palmatum 'Sekimori'. Here's a closer picture.

I know my stuff is pretty packed together. I have a new bed going in, in the Spring and have been debating on whether to move the 'Sekimori' or whether to leave it and continue to prune. I'm leaning toward leaving it because I like the color combo too. Thanks, Dan

Here's one of the same area from spring.

Dan, your photos and the planting compositions are absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for posting them.

I live in good Japanese maple country and grow Autumn Moon with success in a container, but it is definitely thin leaved and prone to scortch. One supplier has consistently steered me away from Aureum, and I have a pretty sizeable collection. I love how they look! If you were to try it, definitely think of a container tree that you could care for with more control than a landscape tree, although growth would be slower. I may yet give Aureum a try myself! The spring color of Autumn Moon is fantastic.

BTW, a great option is Junihitoye. It does not have the drama of spring/summer color, but has more leaf substance and a lovely unfolding form in the spring. The leaves are small and beautifully shaped. It is one of my favorites.

Lucy, xman and Lisa thanks for the compliments, I really appreciate it. I have a bunch of new maples going in, in the Spring, can't wait! Dan

I planted my 'Aureum' in Central Ohio last spring and it got before noon to midday sun then shade during the afternoon... and most of the leaves were toast by September. Should I give it another year or just move it to where it will get mostly shade?

Even in my mild climate, known for its rather cool and often cloudy summers, 'Aureum' will toast if not in significant (read almost full day) shade. Even my 'Autumn Moon' receives a lot of shade but still develops great coloring, both in spring and fall. Like jacquot, I grow both in containers so I can move them to the best siting as necessary. Neither grows fast enough for this type of restricted growing condition to be a problem. In Ohio with your strong summer sun, I'd go for as much shade as you can manage.

noki, that's a tough call. How many hours of sun does it get in its current location and how big is it?

Re-read GG's post ...put in a pot and keep in almost if not total full shade to highly filtered sun/shade...and hope for a cooler summer ... when comparing sun from the north west to central mid west she is CORRECT it is much stronger and many nursery sites and their propriators from there have NO idea how crispifying ;>) our sun is...of course there are exceptions some folks will tell ya how well their's do in sun or partial sun but I personally think most are either lucky or may have some sort of non- true to form cultivar ( grafted from a seedling or whatever) ..David

David, I'll defer to gardengals wisdom. I actually probably wouldn't have replied had I seen there was already a response from her as I greatly respect her opinion. As you can see from the post time my response was just 2 minutes after GG and it wasn't on the board yet. I was just trying to get some more info so I could give my opinion more accurately. I'm not trying to start a part sun vs. shade controversy, just trying to share my experiences about keeping the exact trees in question over an extended period of time in a climate very similar to the poster. I'm limited in the areas I can plant and have very little true shade. Others may have similar situations and find the info that it is possible helpful. Best Regards, Dan

Dan, as your photos so gorgeously illustrate, you obviously have had success growing both Aureum and Autumn Moon in whatever exposure they receive in your garden, so there is certainly no need to defer to me :-) However, I would guess that you are very attuned to their condition and attentive to their needs, perhaps much more so than I am, so they get more TLC than I supply mine. Too, mine are growing in containers, which can be a more stressful growing environment and more prone to drying out.

All things being equal, were I given a choice in virtually any climate, I would site these trees in a whole lot of shade. It won't hurt and should certainly help prevent scorched foliage. Just my opinion ;o)

gardengal, I think that you give me more credit than I am due. My usual method is to plant the tree in good soil,mulch, and water as is necessary and sit back and enjoy. I find that planting in the ground is much easier than growing in pots, especially in my climate. I guess I took a bit of offense to the previous post (not yours) in the fact that I grow most of my maples in at least 1/2 day sun and have had good success, and it was suggested that somehow I was "lucky" or did not have true cultivars. I completely agree that it is safer to grow Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' in complete shade though I do not. I was just weighing the consequences of leaving an established plant in a possibly appropriate location vs. the trauma of uprooting an established plant, and placing it in another location. I know that I am not a regular contributer to this forum, and I try to limit my comments to things that I have personal experience with. On a positive note, I have another 8 Japanese Maples coming this spring which will bring my cultivar total to around 48 maples. I can't wait for Spring, I've got some really cool stuff coming and it's always a joy to see the leaves open on such beautiful trees. Thanks for your comments, Dan

One of the things to remember with all jm's is that enviormental condidtions vary greatly from coast to coast and even from yard to yard...One persons success with a placement will probably NOT be the same for another.ONE basic rule of thumb is best for everone that most if not all JM's will GENERALLY do better in morn. sun and afternoon shade...and thin leafed and delicate cultivars WILL do better in MORE shade...alot of shade.In addition placement where it does not get much wind is also helpful as well as many other helpful soil and water requirments...and thats just summer stuff. I also feel that with grafting and regrafting and never knowing really where your tree originated from there is probably some differnce in many named cultivars which are the same but slightly differnt so the sun may effect one 'Aureum' differntly than another. Finally I would say that older trees will take sun much better than younger ones so what you get now may not look the same 10 years down the line...This being said there is LUCK involved in my opinion ...I have two clump bloodgoods about ten years old in partial shade ...that had leaf burn last summer...in fact ALL of my trees either in shade or full sun reguardless of age had some leaf burn...so with a summer like last year it becomes even more important to site your stuff properly especially more delicate and thin leaf varieties...and to accept the fact yours in full sun or even partial sun will probably not likely look like Dans ...David

One additional thing is that the farther north you are the less effect the sun will have unless you are in the mountains. I have seen Jm's grown in Nova Scotia that are PERFECT as far as leaf burn on many cultivars that will grow there...of course their growing season is often depending on the year from mid june til late Aug ;>)... although I really don't think the sun is much differnt from where I live and Chicago 200 miles to the north ..David

Hi All,
Thanks again for ALL the great info. I wanted to let you know I'm leaning toward 'Autumn Moon' now because of everything I've learned here. As much as I love 'Aureum' it sounds like 'Autumn Moon' might be a bit hardier in my micro-climate.

Now I'm just trying to decide which size to get. Since you've taught me bigger is better in this instance I'm just wrestling with my budget.

OR I could just have Dan dig up his entire Chicago garden and donate it to me!! I'm loving the conifers in the pics as well as the maples! You've pretty much got the look I'm going for! Sigh! :)

Buy both. After you put the first one in, gaurenteed you will want more! They both will work great. I have had my aureum for 3 years now and it gets more afternoon sun than I would like but it has done fine and is very hardy. It is my favorite of the 12 or so cultivars I have now (more on the way of course).

You will not be disappointed with Autumn Moon. I faced the same decision as you but decided against Aureum because of its reputation for being finicky and the hot summers where I live (NC). I have about 20 JMs, and Autumn Moon is perhaps my favorite. I'm still growing mine in a pot until I decide on the best location for it in my yard. The leaves did scorch in mid-summer when I had the pot in a spot that got lots of afternoon sun.

Opinions?

Is the first year planted a good indication of how the leaves will burn in the summer sun, or should you give the tree a second year and see what happens? Or is moving later too big off a risk?

I may not get good fall color anyway in my area, from what I read. Does the leaf scorch indicate that the tree is getting stressed in the sun? Maybe the tree grows faster with partial day full sun? Or maybe not? Maybe a stunning spring and summer is worth a crappy late summer and fall? And is it normal for the tree to retain some dead leaves thruout the winter, or is this because of the leaf scorch so the leaves do not fall naturally...?

I have an 'Aureum', reaches about 5 1/2'.

Is the first year planted a good indication of how the leaves will burn in the summer sun, or should you give the tree a second year and see what happens? It takes the tree at least two sesons to adjust, I would wait.
is moving later too big off a risk? not at all, I do it all the time, anytime of the year (except under drought conditions), even specimens that have been 4-5 years in the ground.
Does the leaf scorch indicate that the tree is getting stressed in the sun? it shows the tree is stressed, it could be the sun but also other factors like inadequate watering.
And is it normal for the tree to retain some dead leaves thruout the winter yes

Otherwise, interesting thread on the shirasawanums. I fully agree that behaviour depends a lot in many local conditions to be fully transposable. I have 3 'Aureums' and 1 'Autumn Moon' in partial shade (4-5 hrs of morning sun) in the ground and they behave well, my experinece shows that they react more (i.e.: leaf scorch) to any lapse in watering that to the sun.

Also, and taking into account the current headlines, it is interesting to recall that the shirasawanums are late leafers (as compared with palmatums and japonicums) and thus an excellent choice for climates with frequent spring frosts.

For golden shirasawanums under full sun, there is the recent selection 'Jordan' from the Girardellis. I do not know if it is available in North America but I have it in a pot in full sun by the pool and it is outstanding. I wll post a photo when I get home.

Gomero

Here is a link with a nice photo of A. shirasawanum 'Jordan'

Jordan

I have one since last year and can confirm the colors under full sun.

Gomero

Dan-- You've inspired me with that photo of the Sekimori. I just ordered one and it is a beauty. It will live in a container over the winter here in colorado (in my garage), and I can't wait to get it in the ground next spring.

I hadn't noticed this cultivar and there is surprisingly little information available. I have really appreciated your photos!
Tom

With all the hoopla over 'Autumn Moon' and 'Aureum', which I both love and have in my garden, my favorite is, by far, 'Junihitoe'. There is something about the structure of the tree and the extremly crisp neatness of the leaves that gets people excited. Everyone who sees it likes it.

Another that I'm not sure of the classification any more is 'Takinogawa'. Some list is as a Japonicum, and others a Shirasawanum. Either way, stunning plant, and probably the one that gets the most comments. LARGE orbicular leaves keep raspberry-purple tips all season, at least for me. Couple of pics...

K4

Takinogawa

I second the 'Junihitoe', elegant in leaf, tight branch structure and sturdy constitution. I'm also a fan of 'Red dawn' and 'Sensu'

Here is a link that might be useful: 'Junihitoe'

It is in the US now. We have a 'Jordan' that is growing like a weed, 2' and maybe 3' in first summer alone. It has great yellow green color and does not burn for us. It is in a full sun position until 2 PM each day, then bright open shade (trees protect it on the west side).

We're using 10-10-10 pelleted slow release fertilizer and 50% Cedar Grove commercial compost (our yard is on dry side if use less). We selected it in June at Flower World in Snohomish, WA. They had 'Aureum', 'Autumn Moon' also, but the amazing bright yellow green color of Jordan drew us in as the standout among the Full Moon types there (for reds 'Fireglow' and 'Purple Ghost' were standouts too).

We live in a zone 8 like Gomero. Maybe it likes that climate zone.

"We live in a zone 8 like Gomero. Maybe it likes that climate zone."

I've not met an Asian maple yet that doesn't like a PNW zone 8 :-) But dappled or filtered shade is best for any with pale or yellow/gold/chartreuse foliage as even with our not very intense summer sun, these can scorch in midday or afternoon sun.

Yes ... Jordan is however described as more sun tolerant than other options.

I have a Jordan in a similar exposure to gfleatham's - morning-early afternoon sun for perhaps 4-6 hours and then shade from trees to the west. It's been there for three growing seasons, planted as a small, relatively young graft. It struggled its first season, but only because the voles tunneled under it, exposing roots to air. Beyond that it has been fine in a surprising amount of sun, though slow-growing in my short-season garden at the northern end of its range.

Wow, this is an old thread :) Thought I would update with a few pics. Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan'

Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' (right)

Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'

Lovely landscape dansgrdn! I've always admired your garden. Thanks for the update.

Hi dan,

Absolutely beautiful...

This is definitely an old thread..brings back memories. After over 10 years of maple "madness" :), I finally gave up all my 60+ trees (all in containers) about 3 years ago. An ice storm dropped my 2 shade trees, and without those I found it impossible to keep my container trees in the TX heat. With lot of work related travel, and kids, I found it difficult to allocate enough time for my maples. Funny, I still held on to the Aureum GFM (about 15 years old now), Autumn Moon, Abigail Rose, and a Geisha. These 4 trees are still in containers (all under 3 feet tall), under some shade cloth, and still doing great in the TX heat surviving against all odds.

Good seeing your trees again.

Regards,

xman

There's an Aureum staring at me at my local garden center that's calling out to me "take me home!" - living in Southern Ontario north of Toronto, I wonder if scorch will be an issue here if planted in full sun? Our summers can get pretty hot (low 90s are about to hit us for 5 straight days..)

thoughts?

Wouldn't recommend a full sun planting site for either Aureum or Autumn Moon regardless of location. Even in my very northerly and cool summer climate, these will scorch with midday sun. Morning sun is fine and even some late day sun but all day sun is too much and too intense.

Thanks GG i am lookignfor a smallish/medium JM that can take sun prefeeably geeen color palmatum over threadleaf thanks

The straight species Acer palmatum and the cultivar 'Sango Kaku' are both highly rated for sun tolerance but that comes with the caveat that ALL JM's would prefer some shade during the hottest part of the day/

Thanks bu thw way, i wnd up get a red dragon. which is one of the ones you recommended it has been planted in a full sun location and looks grear!

Most of the red leafed dissectums do very well in full sun.

I have an autumn moon in zone 6a planted in full sun in thr ground. It has been shrinking yearly. The leaves come out beautifully in spring and by mid summer top leaves are scorched falling off and never growing back and the branch dies off. The tree is getting shorter and shorter. Of my 20+ cultivars all planted in full sun (I dont have shady areas and plant JM far apart to give them room to grow into full mature size) autumn moon has been doing the worst. (I dont have aureum or jordan to compare with)

I have both Aureum and Autumn Moon in considerable sun- full sun from sunrise through at least 4PM or so.

I should add that both of these trees were in morning sun/dappled shade in the afternoon for many years- it was only after I removed all of my hickory trees that they came into full sun conditions.

I fully expected to have to move the Aureum but it's been two full seasons now and not one leaf has scorched so IMO it's fine where it is.