Climate

• The Japanese maple grows best in USDA hardiness zones 5 through 8, tolerating winter temperatures down to -15 degrees Fahrenheit. The tree doesn't survive well in hot climates, nor does it endure very cold winters. Zones 5 through 8 cover parts of northern states like Pennsylvania ranging to more southern areas like Texas, Georgia and northern Florida. Colder areas like Minnesota, Alaska, Wisconsin, Nebraska and Montana aren't suitable for growing Japanese maple trees. Japanese maples don't grow well in hotter regions, such as Hawaii, most of Florida, southern California and areas like Houston and Brownsville, Texas.
  
  

Culture

• Japanese maples prefer moist but well-draining soils and locations that receive partial sunlight exposure or shadier spots. Planting the trees in full sunlight can scorch their leaves, and Japanese maples are very tolerant of shade. Light shade is usually best for Japanese maples. The trees also grow best in spots where they're protected from late spring frosts. Because their leaves tend to emerge early in spring or even in late winter, they're susceptible to frost injury in spring. You should also choose a planting location that has slightly acidic soil and protection from drying winds.
  
  

Care

• Especially if you live in USDA hardiness zones 7 and 8, be sure to irrigate or water your Japanese maple during hot weather to help prevent leaf scorch. Japanese maples are only moderately drought tolerant, so you may need to water newly planted or young trees thoroughly each week during summer when rainfall is less than 1 inch. Spread a 2- to 4-inch-thick layer of mulch on the ground around your Japanese maple to preserve soil moisture and suppress weed or grass growth.
  
  

Landscaping

• There are numerous different cultivated varieties, or "cultivars," of the Japanese maple tree. You can choose the cultivar that works best for your landscape. Japanese maples are excellent small trees for use in borders, massing and specimen plantings. Although most Japanese maples grow to about 20 feet tall and wide, some cultivars are much smaller and more shrublike. For example, the Japanese maple cultivar Dissectum grows only 10 to 12 feet tall. Some cultivars have variegated or multicolored leaves, but these types aren't suitable for growing in sunnier or hotter landscape areas, because they're extremely susceptible to leaf scorch.