Japanese Maples: The Complete Guide to Selection and Cultivation, Fourth Edition by J. D. Vertrees

Among the first titles published in 1978, with more than 150,000 copies in print in three editions, Japanese Maples is a Timber Press classic. Japanese maples are unlike any other tree. They boast a remarkable diversity of color, form, and texture. As a result of hundreds of years of careful breeding, they take the center stage in any garden they are found. In the last decade, the number of Japanese maple cultivars available to gardeners has doubled and there is a pressing need for an up-to-date reference. This new fourth edition offers detailed descriptions of over 150 new introductions, updates to plant nomenclature, and new insights into established favorites. Gardeners will relish the practical advice that puts successful cultivation within everyone's grasp. Accurate identification is made simple with over 600 easy-to-follow descriptions and 500 color photographs.

From the brand Gardening Visit the Store Nature & Science Visit the Store Narrative Nonfiction Visit the Store

From the Publisher Published in 1978, with more than 150,000 copies in print, Japanese Maples is a Timber Press classic and was selected by the American Horticultural Society as one of the 75 Great American Garden Books. For more than 300 years Japanese maples have been developed and selected for their beauty and variation of form and color. A great many people associate the name “Japanese maple” principally with the dis­sected form known in horticulture as “red laceleaf maple” but desire informa­tion about other forms. Further confusion exists because other Acer species growing in Japan are included with the A. palmatum in commerce. Nursery owners, collectors, propagators, and maple enthusiasts have indicated a need for a guide to the deter­mination of the numerous forms of these maples. This book provides such a comprehensive source of information on, and description of, this general group of plants. “Typical” color leaf identification prints of most cultivars are presented to aid in determination of the cultivars. The difference between some cultivars is so slight that verbal descrip­tions may not be clear. Therefore, this is in part a book intended for identification. The second purpose of the book is to clarify and simplify the nomenclature of these plants. Over many decades these plants spread from Japan to all parts of the world. In the course of this dispersion names have been confused, duplicated, lost, or new names substituted. The differ­ences in languages, dialects, writing, spell­ing, and pronunciation, and the neglect of detail in many countries have created nomenclature difficulties and confusion. I have spent many years collecting infor­mation, having documents translated, viewing cultivars in several countries, and collecting specimen plant material. In many cases by growing plants of various names side by side I have been able to dem­onstrate and clarify synonyms or misno­mers. In other cases I have studied original descriptions in the literature or received propagating material from verified stock plants for comparisons. My third purpose in writing this book has been to provide guidance to gardeners, landscapers, nursery owners, and others with an authoritative guide to propagation, cultivation, and horticultural characteris­tics of this extraordinarily useful group of plants. This book is designed to meet the needs of four types of readers: the amateur gar­dener, the avid plant enthusiast, the com­mercial nursery professional, and the seri­ous dendrologist. I hope that it will assist all readers in enjoying and understanding Japanese maples. The term “Japanese maple” has two mean­ings. One is applied by the nursery industry which has often grouped all the cultivars of several Acer species under the general term “Japanese maples.” Most often included in this group are all the cultivars and forms of Acer palmatum. Sometimes the cultivars of A. japonicum, A. pseudosieboldianum, A. shirasawanum, and A. sieboldianum are listed and, in some cases, forms of A. buer­gerianum, A. crataegifolium, A. pictum, A. rufinerve, and A. truncatum, even though several of these species, such as A. buer­gerianum and A. pseudosieboldianum, are not endemic to Japan. The second meaning of the term “Japa­nese maple” is used by the serious dendrol­ogist to indicate all 23 Acer species that are endemic to the islands of Japan and nearby territories. In some instances, writ­ers group these plants with other Asiatic species. Central and eastern Asia include 106 of the 124 species recognized by P. C. de Jong, whose system of classification is followed here. The horticultural group centers on sev­eral hundred cultivars of Acer palmatum plus those of A. japonicum. These cultivars have been bred, selected, and propagated since the early seventeenth century by the Japanese who, in their love of beauty and their infinite patience, have been most dis­cerning in their selection. Like many other aspects of their horticulture, the selection of maple cultivars forms a great part of their heritage and has been shared with horticulturists around the world. Since the late eighteenth century, these culti­vars have found their way into horticul­tural collections, arboreta, and the nurs­ery industry. In this book, I use the term “Japanese maples” to refer to the cultivars of Acer pal­matum and A. japonicum. All of the other species from Japan with their cultivars I refer to as “maples from Japan.” Many of these other species have interesting forms, horticultural cultivars, and varieties, which are becoming popular in ornamental hor­ticulture. Though long neglected, these magnificent forms should be more widely used in the garden landscape. The close relationship between Acer pal­matum and A. japonicum (the “Japanese maples” of horticulture) and certain other Acer species (the “maples from Japan”) is supported by taxonomy. More discussion of this topic is given in chapter 2. Here it is sufficient to simply note the species assigned to series Palmata in genus Acer: A. ceriferum, A. circinatum, A. duplicato-serratum, A. japonicum, A. palmatum, A. pauciflorum, A. pseudosieboldianum, A. pubipalmatum, A. robustum, A. shira­sawanum, and A. sieboldianum. Note that the only non-Asian species among them is the North American A. circinatum, the vine maple of the Pacific Northwest. Planting Sowing Beauty Grasses for Gardens and Landscapes The Complete Book of Groundcovers Add to Cart Buying Options Add to Cart Add to Cart Customer Reviews 600 114 25 57 Price $18 32 — no data $24 97 $17 53 The first book to share Piet Oudolf’s original planting plans and the only book to explicitly guide gardeners through how his iconic landscapes are made. Learn how to recreate James Hitchmough’s masterful, romantic style. This design-forward guide profiles the best ornamental grasses for use in landscapes and gardens—along with advice for successful cultivation. No matter what kinds of conditions you’re facing—shade, dry soil, heavy clay, excess moisture—there’s a ground cover that will thrive and beautify your garden.