I second Gardengal's advice on this issue for the most part. The cultivars that she listed are commonly found at many nurseries around Boston. The differences between them are not quite as subtle though as she made out. Tamukeyama is usually taller than the other dissectums. In my opinion, it is your best choice. Crimson Queen has a nice ruby color but it's usually the shorter of the bunch. Inabu Shidare has more purple in it than the other cultivars but it's also a great choice.

Katsura Gardens in Plymouth has many large Japansese maples but you are going to pay some serious money for them. Every Bloomin Thing in Scituate usually has an extensive inventory of japanese maples of various sizes. I'm sure Weston Nurseries in Hopkinton would have what you are looking for.

I hope your are prepared for the prices that you will be encountering. A more mature red dissectum is going to cost you somewhere between $500 to $3000 or more.

Haskell's in New Bedford usually has a good selection of many interesting types of Japanese Maples for sale. And most are not that large and reasonably priced. They also have many mature specimens of these same maples growing on their beautiful grounds.

Hello! Good luck in your quest. In addition to Haskells, I would try Sylvan's Nursery in Westport, MA. I'm sure the others mentioned are great; I'm just not familiar with them. Sylvan's is a huge nursery, specializing in trees (lots of wholesale, but the public can buy, too). Amazing selection. Plus, it is beautiful there, so a nice day trip. Horseneck Beach nearby has a gorgeous walking path. But if you are really focused, I would try calling the nurseries first to make sure they have ample stock to make the trip worthwhile.

Oh you must visit Stonegate Gardens in Lincoln MA on Rt 117. Amazing selection. That said I bought a beautiful, well branched 3.5 ft Tamukeyama last September at Lake Street Garden Center in Salem NH. I paid $138 - it was about 40% off. It did very well over the winter and has leafed out beautifully.

I know Stonegate well. That's where I bought the small coral bark maple, that I'm regretting now. Wonderful selection of many trees and shrubs.

Thanks everyone. I'll keep an eye on this thread.

Marie, I've admired that Coral Bark Maple too. Why are you regretting getting it?

Because many sources make me doubt it is completely winterhardy in zone 5. I've read that we're zone 5a or 6a, but every winter the temp gets down for at least 2 or 3 days to zero. And these are expensive!

I think zoning Lexington at 6a is wrong. There may some winters or some micro climates,when we are but over all we are not. I don't mind risking some perennials, but time and money are real investments in trees.

You're good with a computer PM, so I'd be interested in what you turn up if you'd so some research, too.

Thanks.

Marie, you might want to take a look at the historical data on your location for the past 5 years. I went to Weather Underground and pulled up Lexington MA for January 1st 2008 to January 1st 2010 as an example. It seems that the minimum t*emperature during that time was 'zero'. Not sure if that is considered zone 5 or 6. I am in zone 6a according to the latest zone map and my sense is that is right to me, but I do notice that Lexington, Bedford area sometimes has temperatures that are lower than mine when I notice them on the w*eather forecast. When you click on the link, scroll down and you'll see every day's weather for the past two years. You can do longer than that period too. it would be time well spent to assure yourself whether you are zone 5 or zone 6. Naturally, your property could be a micro climate in your town too, I suppose. The only way to confirm that would be with a minimum/maximum thermometer that you track the t*emperature yourself every day for a couple of years.

Even though I believe I am zone 6a, I almost always try to get plants that are hardy to at least zone 5. For an expensive tree, I'm sure you thought you were buying hardy to zone 5.

Since you bought it at Stonegate and it was expensive, I would call them and confirm with them that it is hardy to zone 5, according to them. Ask about a warranty. If you are aware of other r*eliable sources that report it not hardy where you live, I would ask if they would take it back. Arnold Arboretum could help you answer that question too. I know it's the last thing you want to do, but I can only imagine how much you paid for it. I've been pricing them. If that is not possible. I would ask them to come out and evaluate your 'site' and figure out where there might be a micro climate where it would have the best chance of surviving. I would explain to them that you don't want to be worrying about it.

I bought a Holly at Broken Arrow last year that was supposed to be hardy to zone 6. I discussed at length with them and asked for advice about where to p*lant it. I put it where they directed me to and it was dead as a doornail this spring. One phone call and they refunded me my money without a problem. An inexpensive shrub though, not an expensive tree.

Here is a link that might be useful: Weather History Lexington Mass Jan 2008 to Jan 2010

Zero is the border between 6 and 7. If that's really how cold (not) you usually get, you are in the tropics :-)

Here, we tend to get lows in two statistical clumps. One is around zero and the other is around -12°F. It averages out to a cold zone 6, but any long term plant has to be able to handle a string of zone 5 winters.

The definitions are zone 5 averages a winter low of -20°F to -10°F, zone 6 averages a winter low of -10°F to 0, and one 7 averages a winter low of 0 to +10°F.

Marie,
I'm not sure if this is the case in your area, but every single name of j.m. (plus Viridis) mentioned so far is readily available in HD/Lowes around here at a very reasonale prices, say 4-5' =$79-99, 5-6' =110-$129, 6-7' =$149-179.
Unless you are looking for more uncommon names, it make whole sense to check your local box stores, IMO.

Hi. My gardening daughter who is 33 and has significant special needs, visits us on Sundays. We're always looking for things to do! Even though the lines at HD would be terrible on Sunday we went to check out the merchandise.
Something is up in Home Depotland. First, lots of signs warning one to be careful, its slippery underfoot! "We're always watering." I almost choked! I'm not going to revive the litany about their care of plants.

I've never seen so many woodies there. Hundreds of rhodies, including Yaku Prince. More hundreds of azaelas. Some interesting trees among the chaff: an eastern redbud and styrax "pagoda" No prices to be found.

The tagging is worse than usual. Most plants have a generic tag that says "rhododendron", a picture and planting "instructions." But many many don't have the variety or the price. I don't think they are trying to foist nameless crap on the unwitting public. Among the three dozen yaks there was one tag. Something went very wrong with their tags this year. Its not the end of season,most of the tags phenomenon.
There were several Tamukeyama about 3 feet tall, some well shaped, some not. And they were $45. Nothing else except Bloodgood.

Maybe the maples will be in a little later, since they are unloading a huge volumn of rhodies.

Thanks for the suggsestions.

mt

Speaking of big box stores, I saw coral bark maples very cheap at the Stoneham BJ's a couple of weeks ago, plus some red dissectums. I don't remember the exact price, but it was staggeringly low, something like $39 for the red. Like the HD/Lowe's stores it's probably worth buying if you get their within a day or two of them coming off the truck; otherwise, they're not well taken care of. The same is true of their perennials and annuals, some amazingly good prices if you hit on them right after delivery.