I have decided I want to try a Japanese maple tree on the eastern side of my house. Will you all note which cultivar has done best in your area of Texas, please. Also, I would appreciate having the names of good sources in the DFW area. Thanks in advance.
Japanese Maple
Maybe pose your question on the JM forum would get more options.
http://davesgarden.com/forums/f/japmap/all/
Call Metro Maples in Ft Worth. They would be an excellent source of info on maples that grow well in your area. I believe that are open on Saturdays to the public.
Good idea, vossner. I'm @ City_Sylvia's now & think I will go by there on my way to my parents!
I was initially going to post the question on th JM forum, but thought I would get better advice and thoughts from those experience growers actually living in Texas.
I did not know about Metro Maples and will look up a phone number. Thanks, Vossner. Hmmm, think I will see if they have a Website, too.
I have two Japanese maples that have done well for me here in Houston. One is about 10 years old and the other is two years old. The 10 year old is Acer Palmatum "Kamagata". It has very lacey, lime green foliage which turns a beautifyul red/rust color in the fall. It has always been in a pot. It does best in morning sun or dappled shade. The other one is Acer Palmatum "Rubrum". It is in the ground and takes more sun than the Kamagata. It has burgundy foliage. I've kept it watered and so far no problems.
Here's a pic of the Kamagata
http://davesgarden.com/journal/edit/showimage.php?eid=96890
crowelli, in our area, Maas near Galveston carries JMs best suited for our area. I know those lacy types aren't especially strong for our climate, you are lucky. Continue caring for it the way you have. Obviously it works.
I've heard that if you can keep a JM alive for 3 years, you're pretty much out of the woods and should be smooth sailing thereafter. But this could be a "gardening urban legend", so don't hold me to it, lol. I have 3 of them, 2 I bought at Maas and 1 at one of the Mercer arboretum spring sales. I'm on year 2, just one more to go.....
Two things I want to do is visit the FWorth Botanical Gardens and go to Metro Maples. Just haven't gotten 'round to it.
I love those JM's too. There is three I want, the first one is Crimson Queen.
Sylvia, they have your Crimson Queen!!!
I think it is a 15g & is really full!
No JM's did well for me and I have sandy soil. I would not recommend getting one in DFW. 2 years of droughts and artic blasts killed all of mine. I have seen specimens in Dallas that look well but only after 10 years of TLC and lots of water and soil ammendments. I'd highly recommend looking into the native Texas tree's like Eve's Necklace, Mountain Laurel, Goldenball leadtree, desert bird of paradise, kidneywood, mexican buckeye, parsley hawthorn, false indigo, or yellow buckeye. You will be much happier in the long run going native and save a lot of money. Eve's necklace is better looking IMO, has the same branching pattern, grows faster, is drought tolerant, and has spring flowers that smell like trident gum.
If you absolutely have to get one then get a non grafted plain old green variety acer palmatum. They have great spring and fall color and seem to be the hardiest. Big tooth or Caddo maple may also be alternatives.
I hear you Toby ... but I am determined. I got a NOID in a pot I had for almost two years, its about five feet. and still doing very well. I got two I bought as Seedlings more than two years ago and they are about two feet now. ... so I am getting better at it. I am more worried about my Australian tree fern than anything else right now, I should have put it in a pot!
Linda please email me the price of the Crimson Queen ... where did you see it?
I do have Eve's Necklace in a pot currently and love the lacy look of it. I just can't decide where to plant it, but will need to make up my mind soon, Toby. Like Sylvia, I still want to try a JM. Thanks for your advice.
Toby, sorry but I have to disagree with you.
I have no idea in $$ how much of my inventory is Japanese Maples! I pay for my seedings a full yr++ before I get them, so I would say our quality is close/or the best in SE Texas!!!
I went & walked Metro Maples Saturday! I have to say....they have retail guality for wholesale prices!!!
Biiyc!
Where is this Metro Maples? What town?
Sylvia, it is just south of the Mansfield Hwy about 3 miles.
Take 20 west. Where 20 meets Loop 820, there is an exit that takes you right down to the Mansfield Hwy. Turn left. First red light, turn right onto Dick Price Rd.
http://www.metromaples.com/map.html
And Sylvia, if you go, make sure you swing by Weston Gardens. http://www.westongardens.com/ I was surprised to find out how close they are to each other. Westons is just about a mile to the west. I visited Weston's on a weekday so I still have not been to Metro Maples, but hope to make it down there sometime soon.
OK, Sylvia, if you come anywhere near either of those places, you better tell me!! I am 5 minutes west of Weston Gardens turn off.
Due to automotive problems & the expense, I will not be coming up this wkend. Got to hang on the little $$ I have left, to go to Indy on Wed. Also, my God-daughter is graduating in Indy on the 26th.
Sheila, how is your back? Are you getting out yet?
Yes thanks for asking, I am puttering around quite well. I drove to Archie's Gardenland off of Camp Bowie today. Spent two hours and $100 there! LOL! Now I have to get my son to come plant everything for me.
I decided to try a bleeding heart vine, may not make it through our winters here though. Also got some Rue, parsley, and other things I didn't need! But it was my first nursery trip since my surgery. LOL!
Well, if it doesn't make it thru the winter, I know where you can get another one next spring! lol Maybe even that other color one also.
Thanks Smockette. I had the choice of the white with red, or the Rose with red. I got the white because I have white accents on the front of the house. I need to look for a strong trellis now. The plant I got is about 4-5 foot now.
Personally, I like the original red & white. It just looks so crisp & sharp.
Sweezel, Sheila, we need to get together and go one saturday. Sheila I did not know you were up and at it! lol Iexpected to come by there and find you still laid up. LOL I am afraid I cant go anywhere far right now, Ruby is bleeding oil really bad, i got to get her fixed up before the Arlington Swap. Money is really tight right now, I got to put myself on a strict budget or at least until my SS starts and that will only get me into more trouble. :(
Sheila I know how you feel when you cant get out, when you do you buy stuff somebody else have to plant for you. I am still not able to do too much, the caretakers are gone (thank God), but I got Estaban. At the old place I didnt have a problem planting in pots and that raised bed, but getting down my knees is murder ... I bought that thing to get down on my knees like you have. I tried it in the house, keeled over on it! M &M had to help me off the floor! LOL
No... Sylvia, be careful. I don't have the knee bench thing with handles, that must be someone else. What I have is the rocker seat, but still can't use it yet. I don't have enough strength back to get up when I get down that low. I can plant small things using my telescoping spade and my grabber tool! LOL!!
Still need to get out and find a metal trellis for my Bleeding Heart. Maybe tomorrow.
Sheila go to HD I bought a tower for 10.00. I got the Round design, it also come in the Square form. If you happen to go to HD check if they have the Desert flower there yet. Its a bulbous looking thing. Look it up in the plant files.
Sylvia, I think the desert thing you're talking about is a desert rose. I bought one just last week. They do fine here in pots. There are a couple at a restaurant near me that have been outside in pots for at least 4 years. They don't bring them in for winter and they don't get any special care. I don't know about in the ground in Dallas since you get colder than we do here.
Did i say Desert Flowe? lol you are right! I have two one is grown from seed and the other from a cutting. I like the one grown from seed best beause it has that boulbous bottom, Whic did you see? yes I have to bring mine in during winter. I lost my first ... most interesting looking one... to the Frost! I will never find one shape like that again. ...and I got my first one at HD too. Tell whicjh kind you saw there?
Sylvia @ Work
This message was edited May 18, 2007 2:17 PM
Sorry, I didn't make it clear (I'm doing that a lot lately) that I didn't find mine at HD. I got mine at my newest favorite place to shop, Great Western Growers here in Houston. I'm there every weekend seeing what's new. I just wish I'd found it before I spent so much at Cornelius redoing the landscape. They're wholesale, but open to the public on weekends. Prices are WAY better than everywhere else I've gone, including Lowe's and HD.
Oh my ... do Smockett know where this place is? Linda are you listening? Do you know where this Great Western Growers is? I need two. I got this friend in Georgia who fell in love with mine. And I want to get her one really bad. Crow do you know if yours are from a cutting or seed?
Hi! I got one of those desert roses two years ago from HD. It was beautiful and I had a ton of flowers.
Make sure you bring it inside in the Dallas area though. Last year I just left it in the garage instead of bringing it all the way into the house and it died. :(
I plan on getting another one this year! Now I know that it does not tolerate cold weather at all!
Sylvia, I'm not sure if mine is from a cutting or a seed. It's a good size plant and has bloomed continuously since being planted. Here's a pic of it so you can see the size. It's planted behind the fan flower. I need to move the Persian Shield. It's been there a year and it's too much sun for it. I'm surprised it's still alive at all.
Crow my plant leaves look different, mine are kind of ruffle. Anyway this is from seed, see the bulbous shape and it has strands of root hanging off it. I will take a pic of the other in the am.
Cass where are you in Dallas? if you see one at your HD let me know asap so I can get me one or two. and yes they have to be inside. I took mine to the office to overwinter it and took it home to soon and I lost it ... that is the one in the pic. I sure hate I lost that... men use to chuckle because it was shape like a woman.
Crow do that Scavola grow year round for you too? I remember when that plant was first developed .. it was a big thing going with whether or not it was perrenial. I guess for you it is. :)
I goofed. Mine is a Desert Cactus as someone was kind enough to point out. The nursery I bought it from said it was a Desert Rose and I didn't double check. Duh! Now I want one of the Desert Rose too. Sorry if I misled with the erroneous naming of mine. Yours is beautiful.
Yes, Sylvia, I know where it is but is only open on the wkends & my next wkend is the Indy 500! :~)
I'll try & go for you when I get back. K?
Thanks Linda I would love you forever. :) So when is the Indy trip, this weekend? Are going alone... how long does it take you to get there?
Crow you should see that plant when its full of flower! its awsome. Here is the one that come from a cutting ... see the difference, there is no bulbous trunk. I hope they dont stop selling the one from seed.
Payroll tomorrow & I'm done @ the Farm. I fly up Wed @ 1.
I could only afford one plane ticket! lol Smock drove up last Friday.
He'll pick me up @ the airport. The flight is about 2 & a half hrs but @ least it is non-stop. God-daughter graduates Sat afternoon & the big race is Sunday.
Smock?
Yea, he is fr Indiana.
Allyn is staying home & taking care of the babies!
:~)
Oh my! :))))
anyway I hope you have a good time. :)
This message was edited May 22, 2007 12:05 AM