When I was a student at WSU in the 1970's the only flowering dogwood (Cornus florida) I remember seeing on the campus was in a planter surrounded by a pool, in a space enclosed by building walls on all sides. If you want to keep a plant needing a humid environment happy in the drier areas over there this is the kind of situation you may have to provide. A weeping laceleaf Japanese maple is probably about the most sensitive type of commonly grown tree or shrub one could try. Not only do Japanese maples in general want a moist and humid summer but when you take the leaves and make them finely dissected, the tree becomes even more prone to damage.

In arid areas Japanese maples are also liable to become burned by mineral salts in irrigation water.

bboy,

Do you mean that the japanese maples will be "burned" by well water, even if I use a drip line to irrigate?

People successfully grow *happy* Japanese maples here, but they are typically closer to structures and slightly protected. (I have seen some in the open, subjected to all sorts of weather abuses, but that isn't the majority.) There is a house about 1/4 mile down the street with a front yard containing about 20 different Japanese maples. I picked "Orangeola" because it seemed the best suited for our conditions.

In the end, I did choose spots with afternoon shade and with the most wind protection. I'll make sure they get more water than other plant choices and cross my fingers...