Growing and propagating Japanese maple at home. Japanese maples

Kingdom: Plants
The Department: Flowering
Class: Dicotyledonous
Order: Sapindoflora
Family: Sapindaceae
Genus: Maple
View: Japanese maple - Acerjaponicum Thunb.

A brief description of.

Jap maple. - deciduous tree 7-10 m tall, with an openwork crown, dark red one-year-old shoots and almost rounded 7-11-lobed leaves. Blooms in June.

Spreading.

Japanese maple is a very rare species, in Russia it is known only from two localities in the south of Kunashir Island, Yuzhno-Kurilsky District, Sakhalin Region. Occurs sparsely along the stream. Border and in the district of the river. Dark, gravitating towards the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, warmer and sunnier side of the island (1, 2). The main part of the range is located in Japan (the islands of Hokkaido and Honshu), where the species is found both in vivo, and is widely cultivated (3).

Peculiarities of ecology and phytocenology.

Japanese maple grows in mixed forests on mountain slopes, often as single small trees.

Number.

The approximate population size is about a dozen individuals. State of local populations. The population is extremely small. Seed renewal was not observed on Kunashir Island, however, in October 1999, one fruit-bearing plant was found.

Limiting factors

.

Small number of individuals in a population. Lack of seed renewal (4). Taken measures protection. Was included in (1988). The species is listed in the Red Book of the Sakhalin Region. (2005). Protected in the Kurilsky Reserve.

Required security measures.

Search for new localities of the species and accounting for the size of the island population. Monitoring the state of the population of the species. cultivation possibilities. Cultivated in botanical gardens Russia: Moscow (GBS RAS, MGUDSKhA), Samara, St. Petersburg (GLTA), Selivanovo (b). Due to the decorative effect (large purple flowers and beautiful foliage) deserves a wider introduction to green building (4), including in the south of the Russian Far East.

Sources of information. Red Book Russian Federation. 1. Alekseeva, 1983; 2. Data from N.A. Eremenko; 3. Nedoluzhko, 1987; 4. Kharkevich, 1988; 5. Barkalov, Eremenko, 2003; b. Plants of the Red Book..., 2005. Compiled by V.Yu. Barkalov, N.A. Eremenko. Red Book of the Russian Federation (and mushrooms)

Many types of maples look very decorative in the garden, especially in autumn, when their foliage turns bright red, yellow-orange, carmine tones. Perhaps, Japanese maples look the most impressive, they immediately attract the eye with their color and carved foliage and intricately curved crown shape.

Japanese maples is the common collective name for several types of maples native to the forests of Japan and Korea. They belong to: actually japanese maple, fan maple(palletoid) and shirasawa maple .

Acer japonicum Aconitifolium in autumn Japanese maple Aconitifolium summer color

Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) has insufficient frost resistance, and therefore it can only be grown in the south or as a tub plant. It is very beautiful, has deeply dissected graceful leaves and a complex color from green to cherry and burgundy.

Very beautiful and unusual looks in our gardens Japanese maple aconitophyllous (‘Aconitifolium ‘). Its foliage, cut to the ground, is green in summer and changes color to blood red in autumn.

Vine-leaved Japanese maple (‘Vitifolium’) was so named due to the shape of its leaf, it resembles a grape leaf. They are slightly dissected and end in several points. In summer, this species is also green, and in autumn it tries on a crimson outfit.

Acer Japonicum Vitifolium autumn outfit

The rarest Shirasawa Maple (Acer shirasawanum)

undersized, height up to 1.5 meters. Foliage is shallowly dissected, characterized by a large width of the plate. Classic varieties have yellow and orange leaves, the ‘Aureum’ form has an original border around the edge sheet plate. The leaves of this variety retain a golden color all summer, and in the fall they acquire a bright orange hue. Maple Shirasawa 'Aureum' is a winter-hardy shrub, reaching a height of up to 4 m. He prefers sunny place or partial shade, and loose, not too wet soils. It is so decorative that it is most often used as a tapeworm in the garden, and the small size of most varieties makes it possible to grow them as tub plants on a balcony or terrace.

Maple fan ( Acer palmatum ). Released to date a large number of varieties of this maple, they are all different small size bush, exquisite crown shape and magnificent autumn coloring of foliage.

Acer palmatum Orange Dream

Almost all Japanese maples that can be purchased from us are varietal, hybrids of fan maples by origin. Japanese maples proper and Shirasawa maples are much rarer and generally inferior to cultivated fan maples in the choice of different colors and forms of cultivation.

Maple ‘Orange dream‘ has greenish-yellow leaves with a red border around the edge, the foliage turns orange-red in autumn. This is a tall, fast-growing variety, within ten years it reaches a height of up to 10 meters.

Maple ‘Shaina‘ - this is new dwarf variety, reaching within 10 years only 1.5 m in height, with a dense, bushy crown and deeply dissected leaves. Maple trees look especially elegant in autumn, when its leaves acquire a carmine-red hue. ‘Shaina’ is great for planting in containers.

BUT new variety maple ‘Shirazz‘ , originating from New Zealand, got its name in honor of the most widespread grape variety in Australia "Shirazz". Its deeply dissected leaves show a unique play of colors: young green leaves are edged with a thin pale pink, sometimes blood-red stripe. And in autumn, the entire foliage turns bright red. A plant that reaches adulthood up to 2 meters in height, forms a beautiful branched crown.

unusual maple ‘Wilson's Pink Dwarf‘ . In spring, its filigree color foliage draws attention. pink flamingo. Leaves turn in autumn bright colors: light orange to red. This is a slow growing tree with a dense crown, after ten years it reaches a height of only 1.40 m. ‘Wilson's Pink Dwarf‘ great for planting in containers.

Slow-growing maples with dissected leaves give a special charm to the garden. green(grade Dissectum‘ ) And dark red(grade ‘Dissectum Garnet‘ ) coloring. Their thinly dissected leaves turn yellowish-red and deep purple in autumn. In old ornamental trees with hanging shoots, the width of the crown is sometimes twice as large as the height. Maples with dissected leaves should not be hidden in the garden, they should be allocated a prominent place, for example, in a seating area near a bench, near a stream, or on the banks of a pond.

Openwork dark red ‘ bloodgood ' is a tree-like shrub with a broad-globose crown and feathery leaves, with a delightful inky black shade of leaves and bright fruits, capable of showing an unusual dark coloration even in the shade. Crown height and width up to 4 m.

Variety ‘ Beni Kawa' with light leaves and a very bright red tint of the bark.

Japanese maple care

In order to successfully grow these beauties in the garden, you need to follow a few rules:

From own experience I can only say one thing: the "Japanese" are more unpretentious and winter-hardy than is commonly believed, and in the right place they successfully winter even at the latitude of St. Petersburg!

Japanese maples in the garden

Japanese maples have a very wide range of uses and can decorate not only Asian-style gardens. Strongly growing varieties with an umbrella-shaped crown at maturity reach a height of 4 to 5 meters, so they can be used in the garden as tapeworms. Older Japanese maples provide excellent shade for walking paths and recreational areas.

The decorativeness of maples lies in amazing beauty details with the general nobility and sophistication of silhouettes and forms. After all, the contours of the maple, the shape of its lush crown and the graceful bends of the branches are no less filigree than the carved leaves. The lines of this plant are an impeccable example of picturesqueness, built on the harmony of naturalness and showiness. In Japanese maples, the crown is tiered or translucent, lush lace and almost weightless at the same time. And all the beauty of the foliage mass only emphasizes the decorativeness of each individual leaf, divided into elegant pointed lobes.

One of the typical landscapes of the Land of the Rising Sun is a quiet and secluded corner for relaxing under the shade of a maple tree, the beauty of which is “supported” by pillows of flowering chrysanthemums. The laconic, restrained, but surprisingly picturesque duet remains today an ideal example of the selection of classic companions for decorating any garden. Also looks great under Japanese maples ferns, volzhanka, shadow sedge and rhododendrons (especially deciduous varieties, which also explode with bright fireworks of leaf transformation in autumn). Excellent companions of the Japanese maple are bamboo, funkia, azalea and other Asian garden plants. A very interesting combination will be Japanese maple with viburnum ‘Dawn’ (Viburnum x bodnantense ‘Dawn’), or with Chinese dogwood (Cornus kousa var. chinensis). Under maples with a translucent crown, you can plant all not too tall and powerful decorative perennials and herbs suitable for planting in partial shade. But you can always limit yourself to a minimalistic design: decorative stone chips in the near-trunk zone and balancing the crown with one or two plants or large boulders around the perimeter.

In the garden, you can create fantastic and simply fabulous pictures by combining in small groups fast and slow growing maple varieties with different autumn foliage colors. Against the background of evergreens, for example, a hedge of laurel cherry or yew, the brightness and richness of colors intensify. Red-leaved maples tend to take on a carmine-red hue in autumn, while green-leafed maples change from golden yellow to orange-red.

The root system of Japanese maples, unlike domestic species, is slightly branched, with a small amount of thin hairy roots, so the plants planted under them receive enough water and nutrients.

info

Momiji (紅葉)

Japanese maple (Ácer japónicum) is a species of perennial woody deciduous plant of the Maple genus, grows in Japan in Honshū, Hokkaidō, Kyūshū, and also in southern Korea.

Japanese maple trees Momiji (紅葉) - exceptionally showy, ornamental trees and shrubs. Even in winter, these deciduous plants captivate the eye. unusual shape a bare crown resembling a mushroom or an umbrella, and many thin weeping branches. However, Japanese maple trees are at their peak in autumn, when their foliage turns bright, almost stunning colors.

Names in other languages: English. Downy Japanese Maple, Fullmoon Maple, fin. Hokkaidonvaahtera, fr. Erable du Japon, Jap. ハウチワカエデ・羽団扇楓 (hauchiwa kaede).

The maple genus (Acer) consists of approximately 110 species of deciduous (rarely evergreen) trees and shrubs that naturally grow in the humid forests of Europe, northern and Central America and Asia.

It's about only about a certain category of maples, which are commonly called Japanese (they come from Japan and Korea). Only two species belong to this group: Japanese maple (A.japonicum) and palm-shaped or mountain maple (A.palmatum) with its popular "fan" variety Dissectum, which has dissected, feathery leaves resembling a lace fan.

Maple was first described in 1784 by Murray from an unpublished work by Thunberg. Since then, many synonyms have appeared in the literature, the most common being Acer circumlobatum Maxim (1867). Its identity as Acer japonicum was shown by Koizumi in 1911.

Japanese maples began their victorious march in European garden culture in the distant 1600s, and by 1882, 202 varieties were already known in Britain. Currently, garden centers offer several hundred varieties of Japanese maples, which are distinguished primarily by the color of the leaves, especially impressive in autumn, when the maples change color dramatically.

The size of Japanese maples depends on the variety: Japanese and palmate maples can reach 8 m in height, while the dissected varieties usually do not exceed 2 m (in rare cases - 4 m at the age of about 25 years). The latter often grow more in width than in height.

The leaves of Japanese maples are small and extremely decorative. The color of the leaves comes in all shades of green, burgundy, red, yellow-orange and even pink and shows up best in open, well-lit spaces.

Maple flowers are small, yellow-green or reddish, depending on the plant variety. After the end of flowering, small paired lionfish fruits are formed on the plants. Some maples are also decorative with their bark.

Ancient Japanese legend about the wise emperor and maple leaves

Long ago, Japan was ruled by an emperor named Takakura no In. He loved nature, plants, and had a particular weakness for maples. Their beauty fascinated, bewitched and pacified him. Takakura no In ordered his gardeners to plant the mountain on top of which his palace stood with as many maple trees as they could find.

Many years passed, the maples grew and the Emperor's dream came true. The whole mountain was bizarrely covered with multi-colored maples that grew in the form of mushrooms, flowerpots or waterfalls, and their elaborate leaves resembled hands, lace fans and even the strings of an old harp.

Every year, the emperor patiently waited for the onset of autumn, when the foliage on his maples acquired a special bright colours. Postponing all his important affairs of state, Takakura no In came to the mountain palace to admire the carpet of colorful maple leaves on the ground.

One cold autumn day, a new, very diligent gardener was working on the mountain, who knew nothing about the passion of the emperor. Trying to make a good impression on the owner, the gardener and members of his family raked literally all the fallen Maple leaves and made a huge fire from them, around which they settled down for the night. And in the morning, the courtiers, seeing the bare maples, blackening earth and ashes on the mountain, began to seriously fear for the life of the new gardener.

At this time, Takakura no In climbed alone to the top of the mountain to enjoy the long-awaited beauty. Instead of a multi-colored tapestry of leaves, his eyes were presented with a dull spectacle of black earth and a cooled ashes, around which the gardener's family slept peacefully. The Emperor understood. Contrary to the fears of the samurai, a soft, kind smile suddenly lit up his face.

Takakura no In returned to the palace and wrote a poem about the special gift that maple leaves have: they can not only pacify our souls with their exquisite beauty, but also warm our mortal bodies with their warmth.

IN natural environment Japanese maples grow as an undergrowth, so they are accustomed to high humus content in the soil, partial shade, as well as more or less constant levels of humidity. Japanese maples will thrive in any garden as long as the conditions are right for them.

Majority garden soil quite suitable for Japanese maples, with the exception of highly alkaline, as well as places with poor water permeability and standing water or completely dry out in the heat.

Another danger that awaits Japanese maples is late spring frosts, which can damage the tender young leaves. Although, as already mentioned, the color of Japanese maples is best shown in open spaces with an abundance of light, when choosing a place to plant plants, you should beware of direct hot sun during the midday hours. Varieties with two-tone or bordered leaves are especially vulnerable to the scorching sun, they must be planted in semi-shady places or places with rarefied light.

Japanese maples are not affected by diseases and pests if grown in right conditions. Weakened plants can be attacked by aphids, weevil and scaly insects, as well as fungal infestations.

Japanese maples are perfectly combined with each other. You can create a whole garden of Japanese maples by gathering plants that are suitable in size, shape and color together. You can go further and create a whole japanese garden, having planted on a special area traditional Japanese shrubs and trees: azaleas, rhododendrons, camellias, kerias, magnolias, pieris, hydrangeas, witch hazel, stewart, skimmia, magonia and maples.

Japanese maples are traditionally planted next to perennials: hostas, ornamental grasses(whose slender, straight stems provide a magnificent contrast to the horizontal manner of maples), low ferns, and flat, wide clumps of spring and autumn bulbs.

Japanese maples look great in rockeries, near the water, in a light forest belt, in shrub borders and on mixboreds. Japanese maples form topiari and bonsai.

There are several subspecies that slightly differ in the shape and degree of pubescence of lionfish and leaves; There are many cultivars used in ornamental gardening.

In culture, it is easily propagated by seeds, or by grafting on palmate maple.

Speaking of "Japanese maples", as a rule, they mean two types of trees. from the maple family, or Aceraceae. The genus name comes from the Latin word "acer" meaning "sharp". The leaves of most maple species have sharp edges.

Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) is a slow growing shrub that can decorate both a small and a large garden. He is petite and handles a haircut well. This means that it is possible to maintain the dimensions of the shrub at a very modest level for many years. Gardeners southern regions lucky - in warm regions, this maple grows without problems. IN middle lane palmate maple can only be grown in a container, bringing late autumn in winter Garden or other cool room.

Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) is no less capricious in relation to Russian winters. Under natural conditions, this is not large tree, but in culture it reaches 8-10 m in height. The branches are reddish-ash. The bark is gray, smooth, does not crack.

For those who are fascinated by the beauty of Japanese maples, but frightened by their fastidiousness to the Russian climate, other scarlet beauties can be advised.

Manchu maple (Acer mandshuricum) comes from the Far Eastern forests of Russia. The very first of the "autumn" is painted in bright red tones. It reaches a height of 20 m.

Maple red, or swamp (Acer Rubrum) is from Canada. Winter-hardy, reaches up to 30 m in height. A free-growing tree has an ash-gray crown shape in the form of a tent. The foliage is painted in bright red with a raspberry, pink tint.