Native Plants
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Ask Mr. Smarty Plants
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Tuesday - April 01, 2008
From: Austin, TX
Region: Southwest
Topic: Non-Natives
Title: Foliage of non-native Japanese maple tree
Answered by: Barbara Medford
QUESTION:
My Japanese maple tree (1 year old) is bright red in early spring. Then it turns green. Is there a way to keep this tree red?ANSWER:
The mission of the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center is to increase the sustainable use and conservation of native wildflowers, plants and landscapes. Since the Acer palmatum (Japanese maple) is native to Japan and South Korea, it is out of the area of our expertise here. We were able to pick up a couple of pieces of information that might be of use to you. One source said that the Acer palmatum would retain its color better if it was sheltered from afternoon sun. Another held that different cultivars (cultivated varieties) retain color better than others. This website from Floridata can probably help you with more information.
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