When it comes to adding colour and shape to your garden, choosing trees that deliver drama across the seasons is always a smart move – and Alan Titchmarsh says Japanese maples are perfect for doing just that.
‘I have never met anybody who doesn’t like Japanese maples,’ says Alan Titchmarsh, in his Gardening With Alan Titchmarsh video series. ‘They’re so beautiful, so obliging, and they’ll fit in the smallest of gardens because they don’t grow terribly large.’
Japanese maples offer year-round texture and adapt well to a wide range of garden conditions. Once established, they’re also wonderfully low-maintenance.
Why Japanese maples work in gardens of every size
Getty Images / Jeff Spicer / Stringer
Out of all the varieties, Alan says the Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ is the most popular. This can grow up to four metres tall, and the leaves turn from green to a beautiful pinkish-red in cooler months. ‘The colder weather starts those sugars in the leaves, turning them a lovely reddish colour,’ he explains.
After the leaves fall, it’s especially easy to see the coral red stems. ‘When they’re revealed, they give you colour right the way through the winter,’ Alan adds. During the summer, the leaves turn a luscious green.
Getty Images / Tony Baggett
However, Alan’s top choice is the Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Garnet’. ‘Dissectum means the leaves are divided up,’ Alan explains. ‘They also tend to form a lower mound of growth, which makes them very suitable for small gardens, as well as for pots and tubs.’
To plant these, Alan says to choose a decent-sized pot with good drainage. He also recommends using peat-free, ericaceous compost. ‘Ericaceous means it doesn’t have lime in it, and Japanese maples prefer acid soil,’ Alan says. If the soil is too chalky, this can cause them to become pale.
Alan Titchmarsh’s best Japanese maple varieties to grow
Getty Images / Gardendata
Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Garnet’
Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’
Acer palmatum dissectum Garnet
Gardening Express
at gardeningexpress.co.uk
Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’
Crocus
at crocus.co.uk
Acer shirasawanum Moonrise (‘Munn 001’) (PBR)
Crocus
at crocus.co.uk
Acer Pseudosieboldianum Arctic Jade
Paramount Plants
at paramountplants.co.uk
Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ Tree
Ornamental Trees
at ornamental-trees.co.uk
Follow House Beautiful on TikTok, Instagram and Pinterest
You Might Also Like
Comments are closed.