Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’ Japanese Maple
Color? Would you like to add some distinctive color to your landscape? Orange Dream will do that. This tree comes alive in the spring with a burst of Orange leaves that have a hint of red, then as summer moves in the tree takes on more of a green color only to change to a burnt orange by fall. Orange Dream is not easily found at your local garden centers and even on the internet it seems to be pretty rare.
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Orange Dream is often grown as more of a shrub than a tree because it is fairly slow growing and when grown in shrub form the display of color is truly vibrant because so many more leaves are visible at a glance. The photos taken here are all fall color. I’ll make it a point to some images with spring color on this page soon.
Like most Japanese maples Orange Dream needs sunlight to color up the leaves, but up to about 50% shade would probably be fine. I grow thousands of Japanese maples in full sun and we get along just fine. As is the case with all Japanese maples well drained soil that is high in organic matter would be ideal. These do well in zone5. Can they be grown in zone 4? Probably, but there is some risk involved.
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What are the light/sun requirements for Orange Dream? Looks like a beautiful plant!
BEAUTIFUL PLANTS. WHERE CAN I PURCHASE THE LARGER PLANTS OF THIS VARIETY ?
Ed, like most Japanese maples this tree needs sun in order to have full leaf color. Even though I’m sure it will do fine in full sun, a little shade at some point in the day is almost always valuable to a Japanese Maple. What’s really important is well drained soil.
I just bought an Orange Dream Japanese Maple at Lowe’s for $39.95. It’s about 5 feet tall but poorly shaped. It will need judicious pruning to acquire a decent shape I think.
You’re right, and if it needs pruning, prune it. The sooner you prune it the better. Great price, but that’s why you got such a deal on it. But’s it’s still a great value, just needs a little help.
Mike,
These are really beautiful!!! I had a small Red in my front yard. Stunted and got no taller, but leafed out beautifully every year.
will japanese red maples grow in southern california near the ocean (2+ miles?
Jerry, I’m not sure what zone you are in, but anything over zone 7 is pushing the limit for Japanese Maples. Zone 8 is probably okay for most varieties, but anything warmer than that is probably too hot for them.
I live in in zone 9B (north of Sacramento, CA) and have two different Japanese maples that are thriving. The key in this heat (triple digit heat that has hit up to 113 degrees in the years I’ve lived here) is to make sure to plant the tree in a shady spot in your yard–or at least a spot that gets the morning sun rather than the brutal afternoon sun.
Great advice/information Mary. Thank you for sharing.
these are very lovely, but how will they hold up to a MS summer heat? I have very little shady around my house and I find the Japanese Maple requires some shady and are not tolerant of heat/drought.
Marlene, lots and lots of sun is hard on the leaves. During the really hot months they should be watered weekly, especially in well drained soil. They are pretty tough up to and into zone 8.
The Japanese Orange Maple is beautiful. Will it survive in a Zone 4 climate? We have a place in Bevent WI.
Kathy, I am growing all kinds of Japanese Maples in zone. Zone 4 is borderline for them. Probably be okay for any number of years, but even here in Ohio we occassionally get a winter that hits them hard. For me it’s worth the risk. I just can’t imagine not having them in my landscape.
Do you have specifications on it? Height, width,Etc.
Mike, what grower zone are the Japanese Red
Maples? I live in zone 4. Would be interested in getting some of these, but March is still winter in our area.
This tree is beautiful, I have been trying to get some maples to grow,I have only three that dont seem to be doing very well. Is it possible to get some from you. thank you
How do these orange Japanese
maple trees grow in upper lower
Mi? We’re in Traverse City.
Hi Mike,
Just a ? about the maples. I have friends in the nursery biz who say that maples can’t be rooted and live long lives. is this true, and if not, are there any special thing(s) one needs to do on rooting them? I enjoy your info! thanks a lot, Cowboy
Jap. Maples are very hard to root from cuttings. One would need rooting hormone to do so, and even that’s tough.
Is this a full-grown tree? It’s a beautiful tree and would be great as a bush.
I love Jap Maple trees, but I would Like you to talk about growing Dogwood Tree’s OK Mike , talk in a while ” George
they sound nice, do you sell these?
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Japanese Maples. Tell me where to get them for $1.35.
He full of Manure. He will tell you if you send him $29 first then over 200 later.
No one sells them for $ 1.35
unless the shipping is $5 each! plant !
1″-3″‘
Mike, really like the looks of the Orange Dream Maple. So are you teasing us? I have never seen them…..where can they be gotten?
I would like to buy some maples to go with my ginkos and monkey pod trees. Do you sell them? Let me know. I’m a plant geek too but we have a truck garden,, and sell at market when we get produce.
Yes I would like to try these out her in California. Maybe some of your other varieties as well.
Will these grow in zone 4 and 5? I would love to try some! I had one but it didn’t make it!
Mike these are beautiful. I would love to start growing these, one problem, deer. They eat everything I put out, even come on my porch to eat my plants.
I love your comments. Keep up the good work.
How are they in zone 9?
Darrin
wood like to buy 20 of the orange Dream maple.
can I do this???
Gill
Hi mike, I have 4 J maples in pots but don’t know where to plant them in ground here in so california gets hot any ideas? thank you for all you do
Mike, are you selling the japanese maple orange dream yet ? I am interested !!!
oh wow, These are just beautiful… This would be one of those eye openers when cars pass by and see these.. Just love it… Thanks for sharing Mike..
Mike…I would SOOOO love to have these in
my yard, but I live in Zone 11-13 40 miles east of Phoenix. It is hard to keep anything from frying here. That is also why
I cannot grow and sell your Maples from my
back yard! I love so many plants, but most won’t stay alive in our heat. I get real tired of cacti…
Mr. McGroarty, thank you for showing us the photos of a Japanese maple tree. They are beautiful.
I love the Japanese maple tree.. It has the delicate color and shape of Japanese Art, and Architecture. Any garden would be enhanced to have a few of these trees. There softness of color is heavenly, and the shape of the leaves and tree are like a well design gate to an entrance to a beautiful garden. A good example is their Gardens. Their landscape is unique in simplicity and beauty
Afternoon, Do you have any of the orange trees for sale? Also do you have any of the variegated maples? Thanks!
Hi Mike,
I planted one of these for my client it was so pretty. I do have a weeping red Japanese Maple that outstanding in fall. Thanks for the posts.
can I start buying these yet?
Hi Mike,
I love all that you’re doing and selling. I most love the Japanese Maples.
I live in Phoenix, AZ, and have “lost” many Japanese Maples that I have ordered from Catalogs. My question is–I see you have a List of different Japanese Maples–will ANY of them grow in Phoenix?
I’m originally from Mass. and really Miss being able to grow almost ANYTHING I want!
Thanks for any Information you can share with me about the Maples. Rusti
do Japanese Maples grow in zone 10 (South FL.)
Very nice!
I planted my first Japanese Maple this past summer,I also prunned it in the fall,now I’m hoping I didn’t kill it. I like the orange dream maple what a burst of color that would be.
I wish I could maintain the soils ph in order for a maple to flourish. Our soil is too alkalin her at zip 88005
Mike, The Japanese Orange Maple is beautiful. Would love to have (3) some for my yard, but, would they survive in the hot Texas climate? I have ordered plants from northern nurseries before and had them to die due to the heat. Let me know what you think and the cost for 3 if you advise.
Thanks,
Curious about the Japanese Maples…what are the needs as seedlings. I’ve a decent sized back yard, but is mostly shaded.
Libby, young Japanese maples actually appreciate some shade, but after the first few years they need at least 50% sunlight in order for the foliage to really come alive with color.
I love Japanese Maples and this Orange Dream is wonderful. It would look great with my Peach Melba Heucheras.
Ha! Peach Melba Heucheras, you have good taste in plants!
Hi Mike. I have Orange Dream, and it is as pretty as you say. Would you recommend a perfect site for it, please? Also, what do you mean by ‘it is grown here as a shrub’? Does that mean if you want it to be a shrub with more leaves, you can prune it? Thanks, Colleen in St. Louis, MO
Colleen, I prune all of my Japanese maples to make them nice and full. If you keep it from growing tall it will grow shrub like with lots and lots of foliage visible.
Mike I have a 3 foot Orange Dream. I planted it in Spring. I am zone 5 anything special for it durring winter months
Edward,
Not really, it should be fine on it’s own.
funtastic color, calm and easy.
Love it!!!
What zones are they good for growing in?
Mike , I just would like to say thanks for all the information that comes in the back yard growers system. Ive been a member for a year or lil more now and have been practicing all the methods , while waiting on my soil in my plot to get right . See I live in s.c zone 7 with good ole siuthern red clay and HOT summers. Im against the odds a little but the info taught me what needed to be done . The soil is right and im waiting on my Gro tunnel to be finished , im going big with this its to fun and easy not too ! So thanks for helping by supplying the know how . Sincerely, chad adams
Chad, thank you for buying my system. I wish you the best of success, this really is a fun business!
How fast do these trees grow and how tall? Are they easy to grow and could I grow them in central Ks.? tk you
Sharon, they are fairly slow growing but would do fine in Kansas.
what is the hardiness zone recommended for these beautiful plants?
John for the most part they do well in zone 5, zone 4 could be a little iffy and probably up to about zone 8 as far as heat tolerance is concerned.
I don’t have a web site, but I am going to asvertize it every time I see one there used to be one in the yard behind me. Ever chance I get to tell some one about it I will advertize you so maybe you will get a lot of orders from Kansas City Missoupri, and. if you want to send me one or two I would appreciate it. i will have to get someone to set it out since I have been really sick all this past summer, I was in the hosspital twice andd slowly gettimg my strength back and hope I will be gardening somenext summer. Bless you and your column I have really enjoyed it wwhile I was ill.
Hello Mike, How would these trees handle the South Ga. climate. I would really love to have some in my yard.
Susan, not sure what zone that would put you in. Many, many Japanese maples are grown and sold in Georgia but at least some shade, like afternoon shade would probably make the tree happier.
when and where can I get an Orange dream?
Verry nice i love maples.funtastic thank Mike,regards,Cyril
Will these grow in a large pot? How tall do they get? I don’t have a large yard and would like to know if they do ok in droughts?
Beautiful
Susan, they can be pot grown, but it depends upon what zone you are in. If you are in zone 6 or colder I think you’d be safer with them in the ground for more winter protection. They certainly don’t require a lot of water, do not like wet soil, but in time of drought I would water at least once a week just to be safe.
wow …im not a real japanese maple fan..but i love the orange dream
hi thankyou for your latest email i brought a red maple 3 yrs ago it seems so slow growing i put it in the sun in summer its in a big ceramic pot is it because of the cornish weather england as we live about a 5 minute walk to the beach with the salt air i love your sight it has such a great veratiy of helpful info ive told all my mates about you also if i wanted to buy plants from you would it be in dollars or pounds thankyou again
Rachel, at this time I am not shipping any plants. In a year or two we will be selling Japanese Maples locally, but I’m not sure if I’ll ever get into shipping them. But I have customers that do ship, stay tuned for that.
dear mike thankyou for replying what a shame but i will keep watching for all your handy tips when im fully recovered from my op il be trying my hand at building your potting table keep up all the great work
I .planted a maple last spring ,hoping I get good results. Iwould love to try the orange maple. Many thanks for your info. Pat
Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’ (Orange Dream Japanese Maple) * Part shade * Zones 5-9 * 8-10′ tall * Origin Japan Rare in cultivation! Stunning Orange and red new growth!
I think you better be answering a lot of the questions as some of them are mine too. Zone 4 South exposure?? Soil? Water?
Marge, zone 4 is the edge of the hardiness zone for Japanese Maples. If were me, I’d take the chance. Life’s just too short to not at least try and grow them in your zone. Soil? They like a well drained soil, do not like to be in wet ground. Soggy wet soil will kill them. Southern exposure is okay, I grow them in full sun.
Thank you very much for tell me above the Japanese Maple ,I want to know if this grow in Miami Florida zones 10
thank yoy
Betty
Betty, the short answer is probably not. I know people have grown Japanese Maples in Florida, but probably more north. They need a dormancy period and in your zone some shade would really help. But they should freeze in late Nov so they can go dormant.
Mike, I want to grow a living privacy screen about five feet high by six to eight feet wide, in zone 5. What do you recommend? At age seventy I want something that grows fast.
Patty, I’d suggest Burning Bush. They grow about 12″ a year so if you can find 30″ plants it won’t take too long. They are not evergreens, but evergreens are more expensive and much slower growing. Things like forsythia grow much, much faster, but need a lot more pruning.
mike,just got the cd’s on inside secrets of selling info. and the family really liked your books for christmas. hope the knife and billfold come in handy. oh, and could you tell me the nursery where you buy 1.35 jap. maples. thanks.
Jeff, thank you very much for the knife and billfold. I can’t post wholesale sources on this blog, but there are a couple of sources in the wholesale directory as well as the emails in the growers Ecourse. The source that I’ve used for years is in the directory. Actually I just bought some for $1.06 each for March delivery.
Does not exist. Unless he means the ones that charge crazy shipping prices for a $ 1.35
1″-3″ seedling.
They are georgeous. I think I’ll look into getting some!
I am confused about the “zone” numbers. I have two different zoning systems: The American Horticultural Society’s Heat Zone map rates my area as a 1 – 2, the USDA cold zone map rating is 8B. The USDA system seems more prevalent on the web, but I’d just like to check which system you are using, and if you know of any other systems (my caregiver INSISTS that we are a FOUR based on some other rating system. Also, I have a huge yard and NO GRASS–everything organic. I already have about 400 plus sq.ft. in raised boxes (disabled gardener). Being Canadian originally, I love maples and have a gorgeous Japanese Lace Leaf (11 years old) and a 5 yr. old red barked maple (any more of a formal name I do not know). I would love to grow these little beauties, both for myself and others. Feedback?
Karen, for the most part I use the USDA zone map for cold hardiness since most plants aren’t rated for heat zones. People in hotters zones wish more plants were, but they just arent.
Zone map for the United States:
http://www.usna.usda.gov/Hardzone/ushzmap.html
Zone map for Canada:
http://nlwis-snite1.agr.gc.ca/plant00/index.phtml
hi Mike, I’d love to have this maple in my yard but I live in northern wis., the pink zone. How will it do up here?
Marilyn, they seem to do well in zone 5, but you’re probably in zone 4. Not so sure about that.