Couple things you should know about a tree like this.
- A Laceleaf Weeping Japanese maple this size has a retail value of around $2,000. Seriously.
- In Our Members Area you can buy rare Japanese maples like this and so many other varieties for as little as $12 or $15. Small ones of course, but still amazing deals.
There’s a really interesting story behind this tree. Years ago I gave this tree to my next door neighbor. It was a little, scrawny looking thing with but a handful of leaves. I told her that I wasn’t sure that it would survive.
Look at it now. Last summer Millie celebrated her 90th birthday and a ton of people stopped by to wish her well. As I was leaving I gave her a big hug and said; “Give me a hug before I get all sweaty digging up that Japanese maple I gave you.” She told me to keep my hands off of her Japanese maple!
Of course she just loves this tree. It truly is a beauty!
Most Japanese maples do well in zones 5 through 8. There are some varieties that do well in warmer zones and some might survive in zone 4. It just depends. A couple of years ago we were down to minus 22 F. here in northern Ohio and this tree did just fine.
Questions, comments, mean things to say? Post them below and I will respond.
We purchased a small laceleaf 3 years ago and the 2018/2019 winter killed about half of the tree. I didn’t want to touch it last year in case it wasn’t as damaged as it turned out to be. I’m not sure what to do. It is (was) a stunning tree. If I cut out the branches that are dead, it will be sticking out oddly away from the house. I’m worried about digging it up and moving it. We’re zone 6a
Thanks,
Jess,
I’d just remove the dead branches then trim it up a bit for balance. It’s likely to fill in nicely, but it will take two to three years.
Wow, Mike, that is a gorgeous tree! Does your neighbor let you take cuttings from it to propagate? I love what you do. Thanks for your emails and videos..
Cheryl,
She would be Japanese maples are grafted, not rooted from cuttings and I no longer do any of my own grafting.
Love this, Mike, great story!
Sure wish I could grow that here in zone 10 but that’s not happening. I had that exact tree when I lived in Ohio and cherished it more than all our other plantings. When we moved, the new owners didn’t like it and cut it down! Who does that?
Ron,
Amazingly I’ve seen that happen way too many times.
Looks more like a bush than a tree. How tall do they get?
Chuck it’s a tree, but being a weeping tree they don’t know how to grow tall. You have to train them to get any height out of them at all.
How are these with rabbits and deer? The rabbits destroyed my burning bush this winter. Live in Minneapolis area.
Michael,
Rabbit and deer love burning bush, I don’t think I’ve seen either eat Japanese maple.
Hi Mike,
On a different topic, I have a serious infestation of Aspen tree runners or sucker starts coming up everywhere. Little did we know that planting 3 small aspens years ago would create such an invasive mess.
Do you have a recipe to kill off the new sprouts and eliminate this annual mess of new growth?
Thanks
Jim
Jim,
I really don’t. Me? I’d remove the trees and use a stump grinder to get rid of all of those runners. Or spray them.
mike – which one of our members have some to sell? jim
Jim,
We have probably 6 members that now sell small Japanese maples, really rare ones. But I can’t disclose their info here but would be happy to in the members area.
My father passed away 5 years ago and at the time of his death my coworkers gave me a 3 or 4 year old tree like this one (burgundy lace leaf maple). I moved to a new house and was going to transplant the tree but I have decided not to try that in fear it may die. I want to try to root as many clippings as I can from the tree this spring. I live in southwest Virginia. Any advice you can offer would be appreciated I have watched your videos and I may try the white trash bag and plastic tub method you posted a video about. You suggested June as a good time frame. Once they have rooted when should or could I plant in the ground? or should I wait till next year to plant? thanks in advance
Mark,
Japanese maples are extremely difficult to root. Generic varieties are grown from seed, named varieties are grafted onto those seedlings. You can try and root them, and it can be done, but very few people have any success trying to root them. Especially the dissectum varieties like Crimson Queen. If they tree has not yet leafed out it could be safely moved. If it has leafed out digging it will likely kill it. see this; https://mikesbackyardnursery.com/2015/11/moving-a-large-laceleaf-weeping-japanese-maple-tree/
Looking at that Waterfall, I’m pretty convinced I know of one in my area – I relieved it of the last half-dozen seeds clinging to its branches late last fall, and attempted to grow them over winter. No sign of sprouts yet, though – they were probably too old and dried-out. The red-leaf seeds I collected under four different trees in town last fall, I kept in the fridge in a bag of moist potting soil. They have sprouted 209 seedlings, which are now planted about an inch apart in plastic tubs of rich potting soil, and they’re doing GREAT!
You are my inspiration, Mike! Now I want one of those AM Leonard spades!!!
Becky,
A good spade is your best friend.
You might try air layering; it might work for your purposes.
Have you ever tried using indole butyric acid as root stimulating? It has been successfully used in many woody species. Hartman and Kester’s book could provide some advice.
Good luck
Try a process called air layering. You can do multiple air layers on the same tree. Many videos on YouTube of how it’s done