Plant id

Onewithnature · Sun May 29, 2016 11:38 pm

Please help me identify. I love these mini trees and would like to get one. â˜º

rainbowgardener · Mon May 30, 2016 1:49 am

Picture is kind of blurry, but it is some kind of Japanese maple. Looking at how thick the trunk is, I think it has been chopped off to keep it that short. There are dwarf Japanese maples.

Here's a red dragon Japanese maple

there are many, many different varieties of JM's!

Onewithnature · Mon May 30, 2016 9:56 am

Thank you!! Now I'm going to research and see what variety will be best for me â˜ºâ˜º

rainbowgardener · Tue May 31, 2016 10:27 am

I will tell you my experience with growing JM's. When I decided I wanted one, I looked around and found a mail order catalog that specialized in them. I splurged and paid $40 for one. When it arrived, it had a trunk about the thickness of a thread; it had fully leafed out and died, by the time it got to me. I contacted the company and they just said they don't guarantee anything and it must be my fault.

Later I found a very nice little specimen at Kroger's grocery for $10. I bought it and planted it. It thrived and was beautiful. Ten years later or so, when I moved away, it was 6' high and wide and doing well.

Don't buy one from a catalog unless they tell you the size of the tree you will be getting and guarantee it for at least a year.

AnnaIkona · Tue May 31, 2016 1:18 pm

Some varieties of Japanese Maples grow well in containers even. My neighbor has 2 in containers and they are thriving! Just make sure that the pot is big enough and has drainage holes and potting soil mixed with tree soil.
Good luck on that tree and have fun!

AnnaIkona · Tue May 31, 2016 1:21 pm

rainbowgardener wrote:I will tell you my experience with growing JM's. When I decided I wanted one, I looked around and found a mail order catalog that specialized in them. I splurged and paid $40 for one. When it arrived, it had a trunk about the thickness of a thread; it had fully leafed out and died, by the time it got to me. I contacted the company and they just said they don't guarantee anything and it must be my fault.

Later I found a very nice little specimen at Kroger's grocery for $10. I bought it and planted it. It thrived and was beautiful. Ten years later or so, when I moved away, it was 6' high and wide and doing well.

Don't buy one from a catalog unless they tell you the size of the tree you will be getting and guarantee it for at least a year.

What nursery was that?

rainbowgardener · Tue May 31, 2016 1:33 pm

I don't even remember, it was many years ago. Some place that only sold Japanese Maples. If the catalog you get it from guarantees them, you will be fine.

Onewithnature · Tue May 31, 2016 3:28 pm

Thanks guys!!!

AnnaIkona · Tue May 31, 2016 3:45 pm

Thank you Rainbowgardener! I ordered a maple tree a week ago online and got a bit scared when you said that you got scammed like that. But the website actually said what height the trees are (3ft), so I think I'm okay