With all of the blooms this spring of my azaleas, gerbera daisies, and knockout roses, there’s something else in the garden that quickly adds color and contrast. It’s my Japanese maple tree, Acer palmatum (meaning it has palm-shaped leaves) nestled near my front door. I do not know the variety of this one, as the tag vanished long ago. The leaves are more of a burgundy color in spring, and then they turn green.
A nice understory tree that enjoys the filtered light that cascades down from the water oak and live oak. While it struggles a bit in our hot summers, the canopy of the trees helps to shade it. It seems to have found a perfect home among in the dark rich soil near the azaleas.
Japanese maples are small trees and this one is happy in the front bed. It will not overwhelm the space, yet it does add a nice splash of color in spring.
