There is no one drought resistant Japanese maple. In general, the Acer palmatum species, which boasts thick waxy leaves, is more durable under drought stress. Examples of these are Ō-sakazuki, Hogyoku, Bloodgood and Emperor I. For Acer dissectum species, Tamukeyama seems to be the hardiest because it continues to grow under adverse conditions. Other Acer species that do well in extreme heat and drought include the Acer oliverianum cross 'Hot Blonde', and the A. truncatum (the Shantung maple) varieties like Fire Dragon. Even with the utmost preparation, sometimes Mother Nature can't be circumvented and the only thing you can do is trim hard and hope for a better year next year.

The best maple for fall color is in the eye of the beholder. All maples have a wide variety of beautiful autumn color. My personal favorites are within the green leaf varieties; however, this opinion may simply be due to the greater contrast between summer and fall foliage. Examples of maples with crowd-popular outstanding fall color include Ō-sakazuki, Seiryu, Pine Bark, Tobiosho, and Koto-no-ito.

Like skin tone, there are infinite variances in leaf color. Leaf color will even vary from seedling to seedling even when both are from a known mother plant. There are no defineable differences between red and green maples.

Mother Nature may grow the tree, but it is up to the grower to train it. Trimming should be a dance between you and the tree. Special care should be taken to remove cross branching and dead wood. The harder you trim, the more growth you will see from the remaining buds. There are many good websites and YouTube videos about pruning maples. Ideally, over time you should develop a relationship with your favorite trees!

Maples vary in a number of different ways. As an upright tree, maples may be large or small, with a rounded crown, or widely spreading branches, or somewhat columnar shape. Some maple trees are low and wide spreading, while others have a weeping habit. Dwarf cultivars can remain diminutive their entire lives. Leaf shapes may be broadly palmate or finely dissected — and everything in between. Color varies from green to red to a wide range of variegation. When you cross all of these characteristics, the result is thousands of cultivars.

Yes, a maple discussion forum can be found at https://forums.botanicalgarden.ubc.ca/forums/maples.9/

Yes, there are currently three nurseries in Western Washington that offer discounts to our members, and we are in the process of adding more around the nation. Feel free to contact your local nursery and ask them to get in touch with us.