Native Plants

Q. Who is Mr. Smarty Plants?

A: There are those who suspect Wildflower Center volunteers are the culpable and capable culprits. Yet, others think staff members play some, albeit small, role. You can torture us with your plant questions, but we will never reveal the Green Guru's secret identity.

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Saturday - October 04, 2008

From: Georgetown, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Problems with non-native Weeping Japanese Red Maple
Answered by: Barbara Medford

QUESTION:

have a Weeping Japanese Red Maple. We bought if from a good nursery in the spring and planted it but now it is not red anymore. It is just greenish. Can you advise me what it is needing or any thing I can do for it! Thanks for your time.

ANSWER:

Thank you for your question. While we would like to answer all questions we receive, Mr. Smarty Plants' expertise is limited to plant species native to North America, their habitats and cultivation. Limited resources require us to decline answering questions that delve into other areas. We hope you understand. Acer palmatum, Japanese maple, is native to Asia. We can, however, lead you to several websites that might be able to help you:

Information from Ohio State University and The Garden Helper indicates that the Japanese maple does well in light or partial shade. Some cultivars will tolerate full sun. WorldPlants.com indicates that there are also cultivars that will do well in shade.

Bartlett Research Laboratories Plant Health Care Program, Japanese Maple.

The Garden Helper, Acer palmatum