The most popular ornamental tree you'll find at any nursery is the Japanese maple. It tops sales charts year after year. No other ornamental comes close to its range of sizes, colors, and forms.
Japanese maple earns the title of best ornamental tree for one simple reason. It comes in over 1,000 named cultivars. These range from knee-high dwarfs to graceful 25-foot (7.5-meter) canopy trees. You can find versions with deep purple leaves, bright green lace-leaf foliage, or coral-pink bark. That variety means any gardener in zones 5 through 8 can find one that fits.
When I visit nurseries every spring, the pattern never changes. Japanese maples sit at the entrance in premium display spots. The popular types sell out by mid-May. Last spring a truck dropped off forty Bloodgood maples at my local garden center. Every single one sold within two weeks. If you want a popular cultivar, shop early or you'll miss out.
You can trace Japanese maple popularity across the whole globe. Growers in Japan have bred these trees for over 400 years. Today they hold star status in gardens from England to Australia. The fine leaves and bold fall color make this tree a focal point in any garden.
Bloodgood
- Leaf color: Deep purple-red foliage holds its color all season without fading to green, making it the most reliable purple cultivar available.
- Mature size: Reaches 15 to 20 feet (4.5 to 6 meters) tall with a rounded canopy that works well as a front yard specimen tree.
- Best for beginners: Tolerates more sun and heat than most Japanese maples, which makes it forgiving if you pick a less-than-perfect planting spot.
Seiryu
- Leaf style: The only upright lace-leaf maple, with finely cut green foliage that turns orange and crimson in fall for a dramatic seasonal shift.
- Growth habit: Grows upright to 15 feet (4.5 meters) rather than weeping, giving you lace-leaf beauty without needing ground-level clearance.
- Spacing advantage: Its narrow vase shape fits tight spaces between buildings or along property lines where wider trees won't work.
Crimson Queen
- Form: A classic weeping maple with cascading branches that reach the ground, creating a living sculpture in any garden bed or patio corner.
- Leaf color: Dark red dissected leaves maintain their rich color from spring through fall without the summer fade that plagues lesser cultivars.
- Ideal size: Stays compact at 8 to 10 feet (2.4 to 3 meters) tall, making it perfect for small yards and large container plantings.
Coral Bark (Sango-kaku)
- Winter interest: Bright coral-pink bark lights up the winter garden when every other tree looks bare and gray around it.
- Seasonal range: Green leaves in summer turn butter-yellow in fall, then the bark takes center stage from November through March.
- Placement tip: Plant it where low winter sun can hit the bark to maximize the glowing coral color effect against a dark backdrop.
If you're picking your first Japanese maple, start with Bloodgood for a sunny spot or Crimson Queen for a shady corner. Both handle beginner mistakes well. Make sure your yard gets morning sun and afternoon shade for the best leaf color. Amend your soil with compost so it drains fast because these trees hate wet ground.
Budget around $80 to $250 depending on the size you want. A 5-gallon Bloodgood runs about $80 at most garden centers. Larger trees cost more but give your yard instant impact. You're bringing home the most popular ornamental tree on the market and one that looks better every year.
Your Japanese maple will reward you with color from spring through fall once it gets going. Give it the right spot, keep the roots moist but not soggy, and you'll wonder why you didn't plant one sooner. In my experience, this is the one tree that never disappoints.
Read the full article: Best Ornamental Trees for Your Yard
