Maple - genus woody plants, which includes more than 150 species of shrubs and trees, widespread in Asia, Europe and northern latitudes. Basically, maple species are unpretentious, frost-resistant and shade-tolerant. Therefore, when landscaping city parks and household plots, maples are often used. Photo of maple and leaves different types can be found on the Internet or in specialized literature.

Botanical description

Most types of maple are trees growing from 10 to 40 meters. But there are also shrubs up to 10 meters high, which have many shoots coming from the base. Among the deciduous representatives, there are also evergreen specimens growing in South Asia.

In most plants of this species, the leaves are palmate (finger-shaped), similar to an open human palm.

Other forms of maple leaves include:

• complex-fingered;
• without blades;
• complex pinnate;
• trifoliate;
• with pinnate venation.

It is thanks to the leaves that maple is considered one of the most beautiful woody plants. Foliage may remain the same color throughout the season, or may change color several times.

The flowers of the plant have five petals, which can be yellow, green and red. Depending on the species, flowering can occur both before and after the appearance of foliage. After flowering for 6 weeks, fruits are formed - two-winged. The shape of the fruit allows the wind to blow it over considerable distances when it falls.

Types and varieties of maple

Maple trees and shrubs are distributed throughout the world. Among them, one can distinguish plants that grow only in natural environment, which can reach 40 meters in height, and decorative forms, which are bred by breeders for landscaping gardens and parks.

Types of maple trees

Various varieties of maple are found in many cities and countries. Such popularity is due to the unpretentiousness of plants, their resistance to negative environmental factors and, of course, decorative qualities.

The most famous types of maple:

Varieties with original foliage

The variety of maple varieties is so great that using only this type of plant, you can create original woody compositions. Trees with unusual shape or the color of the foliage will effectively stand out against the background of other plants. These types include:

Trees with a showy crown

landscape designers in recent times began to be widely used decorative types Norway maple with an original crown shape that does not require shaping. Most of these plants are perfect for both park areas and small private plots, as they do not grow above 12 meters.

Varieties of maple with a spectacular crown:

Growing maple at home

A smaller copy of the maple can be grown at home using the art of bansai. Most often, small trees are grown from conifers: fur tree, pine tree. The plant remains unchanged. all year round. Bansai of a deciduous tree will require a lot of effort and time, but as a result, you can get a tree that behaves like a full-fledged plant. For the cultivation of bansai, special specimens were bred, whose small leaves look quite organically on a small tree. These include:

• blue;
• blue;
• violet;
• blond;
• Japanese red.

Maples are popular all over the world. Love for this plant is due to unpretentiousness, shade tolerance, frost resistance, and the ability to grow on poor soils. It is impossible to be indifferent to him.

And what a beautiful maple in autumn! This plant is often mentioned by writers and poets, used in their works by artists and even ordinary people don't mind drawing a picture with a stunningly beautiful tree.

maple tree

Plant nursery "Sign of the Earth"

Landscaping of the site

Landscape design of the site is a real art, which involves a whole group of specialists. Landscaping is individual, because you can hardly find two identical plots: each house with its surrounding plot and landscape is unique. Therefore, designers and planners create a landscape design that is suitable only for you and where all your dreams come true. Landscape design is only up to your imagination. For example, you need to beautifully decorate your terrace for a pleasant pastime. Or maybe you're dreaming of small pond, where a cascade with murmuring water will be arranged. If the project provides for a swimming pool, then a changing cabin is needed, and the ground around the entire perimeter must be covered with safe materials.
Having equipped the fountain, you can listen to the sound of falling water. To someone the presence of reservoirs on personal plot is not necessary, then a landscape designer can realize the appearance of the presence of water with the help of a "dry" stream. The fantasy of our landscape designers is limitless, and the photo gallery of our implemented projects will help you in determining what the suburban area should be. Our company employs creative personalities, who are experienced and highly qualified specialists, ready to fill your garden with life, which will bring the joy of communicating with it for many years.
Our studio landscape design seeks to preserve and improve the natural environment that has developed on the site. In this regard, each tree, shrub or part of the relief, according to your desire, will become an integral organic element of the new garden design. Our experts love their work and will be happy to provide any assistance!

Ornamental plant nursery

We are engaged landscaping personal plots, dachas, suburban and urban areas. Our task is A complex approach to landscaping. We are ready not only to give you beautiful and adapted plants, but also to deliver them and plant them.

Only competent and qualified specialists in various fields work in our plant nursery. Each of us has unique knowledge of planting and transplanting plants, pruning trees and shrubs, we will tell you how to properly care for the garden and give recommendations on landscape design.

An old maple tree knocks on the window and waves its branches in a friendly way, inviting us to go outside and enjoy the surrounding beauty.

So habitual and familiar - red and greenish-yellow flowers in spring time, gentle shadow green plants summer and a riot of bright colors in autumn.

Description of the species

red maple, in another way - red-leaved - this is one of more than 150 varieties of crops that belongs to the maple family. The plant comes from South-East Asia, the plant gained great popularity in Japan, where it grows not only in open ground, but is also successfully used in the cultivation of potted plants, and is also grown in special tubs for decorating verandas, terraces and balconies.

The common name red maple refers to several varieties of maple with a special color of the leaves. most popular of which are considered:

• Japanese red maple;
• maple Shirasavi;
• hand-shaped (tree with palm leaves), or fan-shaped.

His unusual beauty and decorative leaf colors the tree owes a special biochemical composition that is characteristic of these trees. In addition to chlorophyll, which provides the green color of the plant, maple also has a large number of carotenoids, which in most cases give red, yellow and orange color on the leaves. The cell sap of plants contains a large amount of anthocyanins, which color the foliage in purple, as well as carmine color, which harmonizes beautifully with in gray tree bark.

The crown of red-leaved maples, as often happens, occurs rounded or oval forms, in some cases you can find trees in the form of a mushroom. Cut leaves of a finger-like shape are more similar to lace gloves. In this culture, absolutely everything is considered decorative - foliage, which changes its color and saturation from spring to autumn itself, as well as silver-gray bark and thin twigs with fallen winter time leaflets.

An ornamental plant is considered very hardy, but does not like direct sunlight, as well as drafts and low temperatures: below -15 degrees Celsius. best place for growing red maple will become wind-sheltered area in the garden with mosaic lighting.

How to plant a plant

It is worth planting a plant in mountain-type gardens, where they can look beautiful with perennial coniferous crops. At the foot of a tall culture, which can reach a height of four to five meters, you should plant perennial flowers, which will not need special lighting. An umbrella-type crown is able to create a cozy shadow in the very corner for relaxation, it looks beautiful with plants that are common in the middle zone of the country.

1. Such crops with red leaves look very attractive both with a single type of planting, as well as in limited plantings in groups. When planting, it is worth maintaining a certain distance between seedlings from one and a half to three and a half meters. The pit should be prepared in advance with a depth of fifty to seventy centimeters. If landings take place on the territory of a heavily swamped area, then in without fail it is worth creating a good layer of drainage. The hole should be filled with water and a complex of organic fertilizers should be added to it.
2. Some varieties of maple with red leaves are bred by breeders in order to grow in special tubs or containers. Such crops do not exceed one and a half meters in height. Maple should be planted in a mixture of equal amounts of compost, peat, and sod land. The culture that is grown in the pot itself does not like a lot of humidity. Watering red maples, and those trees that grow in tubs, as well as those growing in open ground conditions, must be combined with special fertilizers. The regularity of watering the plant will directly depend on the area of ​​\u200b\u200bgrowth, growing conditions and the weather outside.
3. If the plant lacks moisture, then it does not die, but will lose its decorative effect.

But the plant will have a special decorative effect if it stays in the hands of a skilled and professional gardener. The trees after shearing take on a very beautiful and graceful appearance, and in combination with the beautiful color of the foliage, this can give an attractive result.

culture propagation

Red maple, like a large number of other plants, is propagate by cuttings or seeds.

When choosing a method of propagation of a crop using cuttings, they should be harvested and cut off in the fall, dug into a special hole before the onset of spring. In spring, overwintered cuttings should be transplanted into pots with light soil mixed with sand.

If you grow red-leaved maple from seeds, then it is worth collecting "helicopters" with seeds and keeping them in winter with special temperature regime at 0-3 degrees Celsius. In the spring, before the process of planting seeds, they should be soaked, and when a sprout begins to hatch from them, they should be sown in a hole with a total depth of up to five centimeters. AT summer time germinated seeds should be qualitatively shaded, as well as create moderate watering. At the moment when the seedlings grow to the mark of fifty to eighty centimeters, they should be transplanted already on permanent place cultivation.

Maple with an openwork crown

Japanese maple can be attributed to the Salindaceae family, and it belongs to the Maple genus. The main place where the plant grows is the forests of Southeast Asia. Japanese clover is able to surprise others with a variety of forms; in the Land of the Rising Sun, it has been bred for a large number of centuries. Now breeders are actively breeding everything more varieties of this popular ornamental tree.

• In the summer, on the territory of the gardens and terraces of others, the golden foliage from the Shirasawa maple can attract, in the autumn it takes on a bright orange color. The Dutch varieties of fan maple are covered with glossy dark red leaves, which, before falling to the ground, begin to change their hue to orange-red. Attractive crown on the plant acquires a large number bright colors at good lighting, as well as in shady conditions.
• The palmate maple is compact in size. A fan plant is able to show others all its wealth of purples, oranges, as well as shades of pink. The main place of origin of such a plant is considered to be the forests of Japan, Korea, as well as the territories of East China. AT vivo growing young trees can grow up to 8-10 meters. The crown eventually begins to acquire a rounded appearance or mushroom shape. Young shoots of crops are covered with colored skin.

In spring, the leaves begin to change their color to red, and in summer they actively change their color, in autumn they acquire magenta hue. The flowers of the culture are collected in bright and loose inflorescence type. The shape of the lionfish can vary greatly among different varieties of fan maple. The culture is thermophilic, and is also particularly demanding on fertilizing and moistening the soil, but the culture may not withstand a large amount of moisture and waterlogging.

The temperature outside is less than -15 degrees Celsius, which can lead to a decrease in soil fertility and damage to the rhizomes of the plant. The propagation process can be carried out by seeds, which should be sown immediately after assembly. The most common types of red maple are: pink-bordered, crimson, purple dissected and other varieties.

Red maples do not need heavy pruning, but it is worth cutting dry branches and diseased parts. In spring, crop care includes replacing the top layer of soil with a new one, as well as preliminary enrichment of the soil with complex types of fertilizers. The mixture should be prepared from 40 grams of urea, 30 grams of superphosphate, and 25 grams of potassium salt. The trunk circle should be covered with a special mulch so that it can maintain the desired level of humidity in the plant, and also protect it from the appearance of a crust. Watering in the summer season should go in the same complex with top dressing and loosening the soil around.

Red maple is able to tolerate a small amount of soil moisture well, but at the same time it can lose all its elegant qualities and attractiveness.

The mode of watering and fertilizing the crop should be regulated in a certain way, and depending on climatic conditions at the planting site and general weather conditions. The indicator of winter hardiness will mainly depend on the fruit itself, the variety, as well as general age culture.

In autumn, the roots of young trees and shrubs on the territory garden plot it is worth warming with the help of dry leaves, and the containers should be brought back into the house.

Diseases and pests

Maple red - hardy plant, which is vulnerable to excessive illumination, as well as to drafts and increased soil moisture.

Plants and shrubs affected by poor conditions begin to shed their foliage very early. The branches, as well as the root system, begin to quickly be damaged under the influence of low temperatures, if it is below -15 degrees Celsius in winter.

Maples do not like to grow on open areas With high level illumination facing south. The best place for their growth will be a place protected from drafts, which will have mosaic lighting. All cultures are well suited for a garden plot made in Asian style, as well as for general landscaping of the front garden and patio.

Red. In this Asian country maple plants with burgundy-red leaves have become almost a national symbol. They are planted not only in or on the sidewalks, but also in pots, as decoration for terraces and balconies. Red maple is suitable for growing on the territory of our country.

Maple red: characteristics and biological features

The genus Maple (Acer) covers more than 160 species. It grows without any problems on anything except swampy ones. This plant is interesting for its shades of red. Like everything else, maple trees contain chlorophyll, which colors the leaves in summer. green color. However, in addition to chlorophyll, it contains carotenoids and anthocyanins, which give the leaves various colors: yellow, orange, red, etc.

Important! Red maple does not like high humidity.

The crown of the plant has a round or oval shape. Sometimes it looks like. The bark has a light silver color, which is in harmony with the red leaves. The leaves of the tree can be three- or five-lobed. This species tolerates our climate well. Red maple has good frost resistance and can withstand up to -20 ºС. The plant does not like constant contact with direct sun rays and strong moisture. and rejuvenate the tree is advised from late August to early December. In the spring, this cannot be done, since the tree actively sucks nutrients from the soil, and you can harm it. Vaccination is done in spring or summer by budding.

Popular varieties

Red maple has many varieties. The most popular of them are used as garden or park decorations. Here are some varieties:

• "Red Sunset" (Red Sunset) - one of the most popular varieties of trees of this species. It has a lot of carotenoids, so in autumn its leaves are painted bright red.
• Fassens Black - a big tree with an oval crown. Has maroon leaves.
• "Royal Red" (Royal Red) - at the very beginning of the growing season, the crown is bright red, which fades over time.
• "Drummondi" (Drummondii) - when blooming, the color of the leaf is pink, with time it becomes light green.
• "Elsrijk" (Elsrijk) - a field plant that has a wide oval crown, is used for landscaping park areas.

• blue or blue;
• crimson red;
• light purple.

Did you know? There is a multi-colored maple grown using bonsai technology.

The essence of this technique is that the root is not allowed to grow, and the crown is greatly shortened, almost to size. indoor flower. After that, the plant becomes a real mini-tree.

Site selection for red maple

The tree grows in almost any soil. Red maple grows well on our black soil in cold and snowy winters. This plant will be in harmony with perennial conifers. Under it, you can plant bright late flowers, which will turn red in autumn along with the leaves of a maple tree.

Breeders brought out some decorative varieties maple, which reach a height of no more than one and a half meters. They are planted in pots and serve as decoration for balconies and terraces. When planting such a tree, the earth must be planted with and at the same time. Such plants need to be watered regularly, as they may lose their decorative properties.

The process of planting maple seedlings

It is best to plant maple trees in partial shade, but you can also plant them in open areas. The plant does not like constant hit sunlight but still needs it. Planting red maple is done in spring, best of all in early to mid-April. When planting a seedling, the root neck should be at ground level or protrude no more than 5 cm. With a large protrusion, the roots of the tree will begin to dry out with growth.

Important!Top dressing of seedlings mineral fertilizers should be done no more than once a year.

If you plant a plant near ground water, then it is necessary to make sure that the root system does not start to rot due to high humidity. Put a little peat in the hole along with the root of the tree, pour twenty liters of water. It is also advised to make a little (about 150 g per one). Optimal acidity soil for normal growth decorative tree should be pH = 6.0-7.5.

How to care for young seedlings

Red maple requires special care. While the seedlings are young and fragile, they require constant feeding. Every spring should be applied (40-45 g), (15-25 g), (30-50 g). In summer, the soil around the tree should be loosened and at the same time, 100-120 mg of the drug should be applied once a season.

Saplings about once every two weeks - 15-20 liters each warm water under the root. The plant tolerates dry soil well, but it can lose its decorative properties.
In winter, red maple seedlings should be covered with spruce branches right under the root, especially when there is insufficient snowfall. In severe frosts the root young plant very sensitive and needs protection. It is also necessary to wrap the tree trunk with thick burlap. If the shoots freeze, they must be removed. In the spring, with normal care, the tree will grow again.

How to care for mature trees

When the plant has grown and grown strong enough, caring for it does not require much effort. Red maple after planting and until the age of four requires care in terms of fertilizer. After that, minerals should be applied to the soil no more than once every two years. Many ornamental plants adapted to grow in wild environment, for example, in the forest, where no one cares for them. And at the same time, trees normally grow for 100-150 years. But an ornamental tree needs care in order to remain beautiful and bright.

Did you know? In Ukraine, in the Lviv region, a 300-year-old maple grows.

To do this, cut some branches, especially dried ones. You also need to cut down any branches that interfere with growth. Experts recommend not to cut the shoots, the maple plant should be branched. The tree can be given a beautiful rounded crown. The ideal season for pruning a tree is August-December. If these time frames are not observed, the plant may begin to “cry”.

July 25, 2011

Those who, having read the name, have already imagined the Canadian flag, will have to be a little disappointed. palmate maple- this is a guest from a completely different part of the world, from Asia. In Japan, this variety has been grown for many centuries, and maple came to Europe in the 20s of the 19th century. For the special shape of the leaves, resembling a hand with spread fingers, the plant was called Acer palmatum. For the same reason, in his homeland, in Japan, he is called momiji (jap. palm). The Russian version of the name also does not pretend to originality, because the "hand" - obsolete word, denoting the hand. But no matter where and no matter how it is called, palmate maple is very popular in various compositions created by landscape designers. So, there is a great opportunity to get to know him better.

First, let's draw a verbal portrait. True, it will be quite approximate. The thing is that the palm-shaped maple is very variable in nature and the offspring of even one parent can have the most different properties. That is why there are about 1000 varieties of this shrub in the world, which can vary quite a bit.

The palm-shaped maple is a deciduous shrub or small tree. It has several trunks that fuse into one closer to the ground. The height of the plant largely depends on the variety: dwarf varieties do not even reach a meter, giants can stretch up to 25 m, which is not very similar to a shrub. The average height of our hero is from 4 to 6 meters, and with this size, palmate maple grows well as an undergrowth in the wild.

The crown of the Japanese maple can be spherical and tent-shaped in shape. The age of the plant affects here: the first option is more inherent in young bushes, and already adult maples scatter a tent. But he also has a wonderful property - he perfectly tolerates molding. So what do you need appearance crowns can be easily made by yourself, regardless of the age of the maple.

The size and shape of the leaves also depend on the variety. The only thing that remains common to all is the similarity to a human palm, but how many “fingers” will be on it, what length and color they will be - here the scope for imagination is practically unlimited. If we take the average characteristics, then the Japanese maple leaf has a size of 4 to 12 cm, and the “fingers” on it can be from 5 to 11. In Japan, for example, they prefer shrubs with miniature and almost transparent leaves that are attached to thin twigs . This gives the maple lightness and delicacy, and in this form it fits perfectly into the standards of traditional bonsai art and is an integral part of the classic Japanese garden. But about accommodation options and landscape compositions we will talk about palm-shaped maple a little later, but for now we will continue the description.

We have already said that the color of the leaves of this shrub can be very different, but one of the most popular today is red. AT garden centers you can easily find varieties that “ripen” by autumn, or even the entire growing season, are in purple attire. If you're already looking to add color to your landscape, here are a few examples: Acer Palmatum Atropurpureum (with an average height of 4-6m); Dissectum Atropurpureum (less tall up to 2 m), as well as low Dissectum Ornatum and Dissectum Nigrum.

You can buy palm-shaped maple, as we have already said, in many garden centers. In most cases, these are cuttings that are already ready for planting in a permanent place, but you can also find the seeds of this shrub in order to go the whole way of growing yourself.

If you have chosen a difficult path to the maples through seeds, then your work will begin in mid-late April. To begin with, the seeds must be soaked in hydrogen peroxide and kept in it for up to 3 days. This will make it easier for the Japanese maple to germinate. The hatched seeds are then planted in open ground to a depth of 3-4 cm. You will see the first shoots in about a month, but you should not touch them yet. You can only loosen, weed and water. It is recommended to transplant maple to a permanent place no earlier than in a year or two. During this time, he will have time to get stronger and grow up: by the age of two, the shrub can reach 1 m.

While the seedlings are gaining strength, you have time to find a permanent place in the garden for the maple. For a good life, he needs acidic or neutral soil. Shrubs fit the usual garden soil, but you can prepare a special fertile mixture. This is a combination of peat (or compost, or humus), soddy soil and sand in proportions of 3:2:1. The light regime is also important for maple: light penumbra or diffused light is best for it. If the light is directional, then the whole tree will turn around rather quickly, and will bend towards its source. And if the maple is placed completely in the shade, it will not be able to produce enough useful substances in the process of photosynthesis. This is especially true for red-leaved varieties, which already have little chlorophyll.

Whimsical shrub and humidity. Ideally, it is planted next to a body of water. But if this is not possible, you will have to monitor the level of moisture. Due to the lack of water, the tips of the leaves of the maple may dry out, and this is the last signal to the gardener. In normal weather, you can water the maples once a month, 15 liters per bush, but if the time is dry, then it is not forbidden to water the plants once a week under the root, as well as refresh the foliage by spraying.

The palm-shaped maple also needs protection from the wind. Summer breaths are not terrible for him, but the winter months can destroy the bush. Especially in middle lane Russia. Therefore, during the period of cold weather, the plant must be covered with spruce branches, jute mats, or build a wigwam around it from lutrasil. If the shrub is still young and its size allows this, it’s a good idea to send the maple for wintering to a cool basement with a temperature of about +5 degrees. And with the onset of heat, it can be returned back to the garden.

Found in my area appropriate place? Then you can plant maples for permanent residence. This should be done in spring or autumn. root system palm-shaped maple is quite compact and between plants you can leave 2-4 m, so the bushes will not interfere with each other. If you need a Japanese maple hedge, then this distance can be reduced to 1.5 meters. Maples should be planted in drained landing pits size 50x50x70 cm. The composition of the drainage may include layers construction debris or sand up to 20 cm. Also, to improve the drainage properties and make life easier for the shrub, the bottom of the hole must be well loosened. After landing trunk circles it is good to mulch with peat or earth with a layer of 3-5 cm.

In the future, it is not necessary to loosen the ground next to the maples. More precisely, you can not do it on purpose. It is enough that you do this while weeding. Also, after removing weeds and loosening the soil in the summer months, Kemiru-universal fertilizer 100 g per square meter should be applied.

And finally, we get to the use of palmate maple in garden design. First, it is an excellent element of the Japanese garden. We have already written about this above, and we will not stop again. The second place where you can effectively attach a bush, we also already called it: this is the composition “At the Pond”. There, the maple will be fine and humid, and the whole ensemble will be decorated with a beautiful red spot, which will look very nice on land and be reflected in the water. The next place of his possible residence is dictated by wildlife. Do you remember that it grows there like undergrowth? Here and on the site, maple can be made a neighbor of large-sized trees. It looks especially impressive in the background. dark coniferous species. Low forms of palmate maple can be placed in rock gardens, or near the verandas and terraces of the house in tubs or containers. Do not forget about the opportunity to plant just one bush and enjoy its loneliness against the backdrop of the garden. And of course, a sprawling shrub with a neat root system is great for hedges. Moreover, it can be easily cut and molded according to your desire.

Talking about pruning maple and finish our story. Pruning can be simple removal dead branches in spring (read "Spring pruning of trees and shrubs") and in the fall to clear the bush. But if you need a specific form, then you will have to work a little more actively and take into account a few tips. The first large-scale pruning can be done only a couple of years after planting, so as not to destroy the young bush in the process of rooting. Large branches should be removed during the dormant period of the maple and cut off flush with the growths of the bark around the branch; on small shoots, a couple of buds can be left to the cut point. And finally, after working with a pruner, the cut points are not covered with pitch or drying oil. Everything should dry naturally.

Well, here is another page of tips for those who decorate the site with their own hands. A Japanese guest at our dachas is still a rare thing, but we hope that with our help, the maple will increasingly extend its “palms” to gardeners for a friendly handshake.