I spoke with a landscaper a few years ago who said they sell JM's because people demand them, but they rarely long term and be the beautiful specimen tree that everyone hopes to have.

If you want to try to grow on in a pot, you could use a heating pad. Look here:
http://www.gardenguides.com/83508-overwinter-japanese-maples-pots.html

Odds are that it won't work out. All it takes is one cold night, you forget to turn on the heating pad and it's a goner. If you're worried about being heartbroken over a plant, don't covet fussy plants. :)

BTW, don't believe that you are in zone 4. The plant industry wants you to believe that you are in zone 4 so they can entice you with zone 5 plants.

I have a 13'x13' acer palmatum atropurpurea (approximately 16 years old), a 7-year-old, 2'x2' 'Shaina' (dwarf), a 5 1/2' x 3' 'Ukigumo' aka 'Floating Clouds'(7-years-old), a 2 1/2' x 2' 'Inabe Shidare' (weeper, 9-years old), a 2'x2' 'Viridis'(weeper, 6-years old), as well as dozens of small JM trees I've grown from seed. I have lost 'Crimson Queen' (more than once), 'Garnet', and 'Moonfire', though interestingly seedlings from the latter are proving really hardy for me. 'Emperor I' is supposed to be very hardy, though I haven't tried it.

Drainage is critical, no standing water particulary in spring and fall. Dry soils are also not tolerated. Most JMs like partial shade. Protection from strong winds and sun is critical in winter and I believe is more important than actual cold temperatures. For the upright trees, in late fall/early winter, I bind them with soft cord and truss them up into a sort of chrysalis shape, then wrap them with landscape fabric from top to bottom (getting harder and harder for the 13'x13'!). This can be held in place with twine and safety pins. Small trees are caged with chicken wire stuffed with leaves. First-year seedlings are grown in a nursery bed and protected by a deep mulch of oak leaves. Depending upon the spring weather, I usually remove the wrap/cages and leaves around April 1st in my gardens.

Japanese maples have two growth periods, early spring and mid-summer. In colder zones, often the mid-summer growth does not harden off, dies over winter, and has to be pruned out in the spring. However, as the trees get older and get deeper root systems, this is less likely to happen.

I have a few seedling trees that although they are only about 4 years old, are displaying little to no winter die-back. If you are an adventurous gardener who likes to dabble with seeds, you might (as I have!) find gardeners willing to trade you Japanese maple seeds. Maybe you will find 'THE ONE'!

Good luck,

Kate in MN

I think one of the problems with Jap Maples is their chill index. Try planting one in an area that does NOT lose it's snow cover in winter. Sun or shade, I don't think it would matter in our Wisconsin climate. Buy something cheap and give it a try.

Kate from MN who starts her plants from seed, has the best plan for us northern gardeners who want to 'push the envelope'. I found this to be the way to grow so many marginal flowers. Never tried it with trees, but it sure is worth the try. Pondy

I have a botany professor at in my neighborhood and he does not say good things about the Japanese Maple. The house next door had one for years and it managed to survive but it never looked very good. They cut it down earlier this summer.

Unless you're planning on growing it as a bonsai tree - and are willing to do all the maintenance that a bonsai tree would require - then I would stay away.

Ours didn't like full sun - it was a Emperor I, but we also probably didn't water enough. We're now trying another in partial shade, it's doing better than the 1st. Make sure they get ample water the first year, deep watering, to grow long tap roots. We've had Bloodgood in full shade, but we also didn't water much, that one didn't make it either but I think it had more to do with our own negligence. If you can put them in a place with afternoon shade and protected from winter winds (protect it with a tarp the first year for sure), it may have a better chance of survival.

Uncle has them in zone 5, he lives in a tall 3 story Victorian home with surrounding tall homes, the trees are on the south face of his house, but protected from winds and too much direct sun. They look fabulous.

Japanese Maples have done very well around lake areas. I don't know if the lakes themselves can form a micro-climate that is adequate for them, but we have never lost one, to winter. The lakes are not very large, like the way L. Michigan, protects the cherry orchards, but we were formally Z3 as well. I have read that they, JM, don't like too much water or too little water. We see plants in both sun and shade. Don't know how fast they normally grow, but they seem slow to me.