Your signature focal tree. You already have one — a few more cultivars turn it into a collection and give every garden room a punctuation point.
Front-entry focal points, the porch corner, beside the stone steps, and at path junctions in the back.
Acidic, moist, well-drained soil. Shelter from hot afternoon sun and wind to prevent leaf scorch. Mulch the root zone; prune minimally and only in winter.
'Bloodgood' (upright burgundy), 'Crimson Queen' or 'Tamukeyama' (weeping laceleaf), 'Sango-kaku' (coral-bark — glows in winter).
Any quality garden center; specialty cultivars from Maple specialists or Pike Nursery.
Read more at NC State Extension →