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callantx

Is Central Texas hospitable enough for Japanese Maples?

callantx
15 years ago

I live in the hilly center of Texas with an annual rainfall of about 28-30 inches. My soil is sandy loam and I suspect that means very alkaline. Trees that do well where I live are Elms, Live and Post Oaks, Pecans, Mesquite and Juniper ("cedars"), to name a few.

There are long drought periods and lots of intense heat and sun much of the year. This past year we've seen very

little rain at all.

Still I LOVE Japanese landscapes and would love to introduce some Japanese Maples. I've seen some good deals on them at Home Depot and other stores, but was warned that unless they are kept in heavy shade and have regular watering they will lose their leaves and/or will die. The leaves often do come back when the weather cools, but who wants a bare tree for more than half the year?

I want to use as many native plants as possible. For instance, Flame Leaf Sumac is an okay substitute for Maples (they're small, turn a beautiful red/orange in fall and can be pruned to graceful shapes). But it's really not the same.

So here's my question: Shall I skip it or should I buy a few cheap trees and try them in different locations? If so, shall I amend the soil? With what? What should I avoid (besides strong sun)? It is early November and the rainy months are upon us, so if I'm going to transplant some gallon sized trees, this would probably be a good time to do it. I'm considering planting them as understory below several large live oaks and/or pecans.

I'd especially appreciate hearing from any Texans in my region who have had success in these conditions. I'd also be grateful for any general info about how to go about this.

Thanks!

Comments (10)

  • Embothrium
    15 years ago

    These don't like arid conditions, including desert soils. If you can't grow evergreen azaleas Japanese maples won't be successful there either.

  • kaitain4
    15 years ago

    There are a number of people growing them in Texas, but you need to be picky on the cultivar, and careful how you plant. They like acid soil that drains well, and do not tolerate drought or drying winds. Shady trees or shady sides of the house would be best.

    You might want to talk to a guy named Nelran on the UBC web site. He's in Texas and grows JMs.

    www.ubcbotanicalgarden.org

  • Embothrium
    15 years ago

    Shantung maple is recommended for parts of Texas by T.A.M.U. Aggie Hort web pages.

  • lou_spicewood_tx
    15 years ago

    It can be done. You have sandy loam which may be more on the acidic side than alkaline. JM will do fine if protected from afternoon sun (several hours of morning sun is plenty) and generous amount of mulches to keep the soil moist and cool. You probably will have to water once a week to get it established during first growing season. Now is best time to do it to give it more time to grow roots before summer comes.

    Shantung maple is a lot tougher. Trident and Paperbark are no slouch but may benefit from protection from afternoon sun but still will do better than Japanese maple.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Metro Maples

  • Scott Z8 CenTex
    15 years ago

    I'm not sure where you are, but I'm in Round Rock (suburb north of Austin) and I tried planting one late last year.

    All was well until we had the hottest driest summer on record this year, and now all the leaves are brown and curled about halfway up. The tree doesn't seem to be dead (has buds for example, pliable limbs, etc.) but it doesn't look good and hasn't dropped it's leaves yet, which has me worried.

    It's in a pretty shady spot, so I'm hoping the unusually hot dry summer just put it under some unusual stress.

    I'd like to know if anyone can tell me whether the leaves should have dropped by now or not (November 16th...).

  • lou_spicewood_tx
    15 years ago

    jscaldwell,

    Did you provide mulch and water deeply when needed? You have to water when it isn't raining. That is not an option. That is a necessity when you don't get much rain. JM isn't that drought hardy.

  • kaitain4
    15 years ago

    A JM can lose an entire set of leaves in a season and still be fine. If the stems are still alive, you should be OK. Scratch the bark on a twig with your thumb nail and see if it is green just below the bark. If so, just wait til next year. You may want to provide more sun / wind protection and water.

    I was just in Dallas and noticed three large JMs planted at the international airport. You CAN grow them there, but you have to give them protection from extremes. And they can NEVER be allowed to dry out. Maybe for a day or so, but never longer - they cannot tolerate drought. They're mountain plants, and are adapted to cool, moist (but not wet) soils. Many can take a good deal of heat, but none of them will survive long in hot, drying winds. They don't have thick bark like our native trees, so they get dehydrated.

    K4

  • lou_spicewood_tx
    15 years ago

    This tree farm is based in Ft Worth so we get brutal weather as you do. I thought it would help you as they have experiences with it and how to care for Japanese maples.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Metro Maples

  • greenman28 NorCal 7b/8a
    15 years ago

    My uncle - living in Georgetown - has a few 'bloodgood' maples planted on one side of a small pond, beneath two elms and a sycamore tree. Saddest pair of maples I'd seen. Of course, this summer's winds were brutal...everything seemed to have dry leaves.

    One thing I noticed: water was fairly cheap (compared to my California standards), and yet folk seemed bent on allowing their plants to struggle in an attempt to "toughen them up." I just didn't get it....in fact, I was actively appalled by the practices...

    If I had a plot of land in Texas (that wasn't hard calcium), I'd start with mulch and low-growing plants to help lock moisture in the soil. I'd build up from there, with Chaste trees and crape myrtle and persimmon, et cetera, and bald cypress on the corners of the plot. Once I had a bit of shade to play with, I'd plant some of the tougher maple varieties - then I'd plant other, more delicate maples below these.

    Josh

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