If you want a Japanese Maple, you might have to drive around to a few nurseries in the local area. I've been known to drive up to 2 hours just for variety and nursery size.

There are loads of Japanese Maples available, many of the sturdier types are hardy right to zone 5A, others need a little more warmth in zones 6 & 7.

They prefer not to be in areas of strong winds as the leaves can get tattered by storms, and need part sun to full sun as they languish in the shade, often looking very thin and sickly.

For good red colors, you can't beat the 'Atropurureum' cultivars. There is the old standby "Bloodgood" which is vibrant red in spring, darkening to a deep burgundy in late spring through the summer, turning scarlet-red again in October. Really stunning.

I have an unnamed cultivar, simply noted as 'Atropurpureum' which is basically the predecessor to 'Bloodgood' and similar types. Mine is the same delicious red in early spring, but with the heat of summer the leaves turn more bronze/green before returning to their hot scarlet in October/November. I love it, as I have a few things in the garden that are dark leaved all season.

All Japanese maples need supplemental irrigation in the hottest part of the summer, you can tell when one hasn't had any loving by the brown tips on the leaves, sometimes even by the end of June if it is a hot spring. A good watering a couple times a week is perfect during the hottest weather.

There are many many types to choose from, but the 'Bloodgood' type is the one you will find the most often, even at Costco nursery, Home Depot, Lowes, etc. (I tried to name the ones we have in Canada that you also have in the US). Especially if you like the red leaves. But many types of Japanese Maple, even the green ones, turn various shades of red, scarlet and orange in fall, rivaling the red and sugar maples of our forests.

There are the thread leaf variety as well, but they tend to be very small and frustratingly slow growing, more of a mound type shrub rather than a tree.

Even with optimal growing conditions, a Japanese Maple will grow slowly, about 1 foot per year is normal. You can purchase more mature specimens in the spring, but they are rather costly due to their slower growth habit.

The more rare the cultivar, the more it will cost.

I love maples, but Japanese Maples are the ones I know the LEAST about. But they are fascinating and lovely, the branches in winter are truly spectacular. I'm getting to know more about them though, as they are very popular and common in my neck of the woods (southwestern Ontario).

If you live in a snow belt, beware if you have a young tree; they are very whip like and can get crushed by the sudden squalls rolling off the lakes in December and January.

If the trunk is only 8ft. from the house, Bloodgood will get too big. Look for a smaller cultivar that will only have a 10 ft spread. Do you want the leaves red all summer, or would you consider a green leaf Japanese Maple with better fall color? We also need to know what side of the house it will be planted. Will it be blocked from the NW winter winds or exposed? Will there be any afternoon shade in that spot?