Whats your thoughts on Bloodgood Red Maple VS. October Glory. Landscaper quoted for Oct Glory 2.5 to 3 caliper, but browsing online I am drawn towards the Japanese Maple with its deep purple colors. He recommended the Bloodgood as alternative, it also costs more of course. Project is aimed for spring planting, zone 7b, NC. I am considering tweaking some of the plant choices to make up for the extra cost of the Bloodgood. Other part of me feels likeleave it to the landscaper, he's the expert, not me. :(

Question: is Bloodgood worth the extra cost, no warranty offered so that makes me more cautious on spending extra. Is it a good time to plant this tree or shall I wait in the fall, to protect my investment. Other big trees in project is emerald arborvitae, green giants, nellie stevens, magnolia bracken brown and camellias. TIA!

Answer #2 · Marie LA's Answer · Thank you, John Heider for the quick response. We will be going with the October Glory for now. This is our first landscape project, we are not DIY-ers, I am scared of the added cost. I'll sit on my Jap Maple dream for now and let my backyard grow and develop first. Never say never, I have a planting bed next to patio area that I'm thinking could be the future spot for that. By then, I would have honed by gardening skills (hopefully) and plant it on my own :) risk. Lol.)

Answer #1 · Maple Tree's Answer · Hi Marie-This is a good question. As a Japanese maple collector I can't think of any other tree as beautiful as these in a landscape. I too have always been drawn to the red leaf varieties more so than the green although I could never pick a favorite as they all have their own different beautiful characteristics. The two trees you are thinking of are different species of maples and are quit different in their characteristics. The October Glory (Acer rubrum) is a cultivar of the red maple. The leaves though are green spring and summer with a beautiful red/orange fall coloring. I haven't grown this maple but understand it is extremely hardy in your area and keeps its fall coloring longer than most other maples. The October Glory also known a scalet maple is native to the East Coast of the U.S.. October Glory grows almost twice the height and width, 40 to 50 feet tall and wide,of the Bloodgood Japanese maple that will normally grow 15 to 20 feet tall and wide. The Bloodgood does have a red leaf but tends to turn more green during the hot summer months then again red in the fall before leaf drop. From what I know the October Glory maple is much more tolerant of hot summer temperatures than Bloodgood which has always done better for me, with less leaf burn, with some relief from the hot direct sunlight in the summer. If you like the Japanese maples with the red colored leaves there is a huge amount of cultivars to pick from. Unfortunately most of them will appreciate some bright shade or filtered light in the hot afternoon. I grow approx. 25 varieties of the Japanese maple and half of them are red leaf varieties. If you have a location that is shaded by other large trees or structures in the afternoon their is a large choice of trees you may be interested in looking at.

I'm surprised the Bloodgood is much more expensive in your location. This has been one of the older cultivars and the most sold in my location on the west coast and the least expensive of all the Japanese maples. As you can see it would depend on the size, leaf color, and size of the area you are planting in when knowing what tree would meet your desires. I'm assuming the area they will be planted is in full sun all day long. If you are looking for a large shade tree the October Glory is a much larger tree. If you are looking for a medium sized tree with red colored leaves there are several Japanese maples to choose from. A few that seem to keep their red coloring better than the Bloodgood during the hot summer is the Emperor 1, Fire Glow, Boshoop Glory, and Hefner's Red.

If at all possible you don't want to purchase your maple tree from anyone that doesn't have a tree replacement warranty for at least one year. All quality nurseries and garden centers will guarantee their trees.

If your tree has been growing in a container it can be planted any time of the year. Both Spring and Fall are the best times. Fall is normally the best time to plant trees as the cooler temperatures, adequate rainfall, and more time to develop a more mature root system before the warmer months decreases any chance of transplant shock and stress. I have always planted most of my trees in early spring as it has always been easier at this time of the year to find the maples at the nurseries I want to purchase. If you purchase a balled and burlaped tree you want to keep the root ball moist and plant it as soon as possible. I noted a few links below to articles that will help with the planting of the maple trees. Just click on the links to go directly to the articles.

http://www.gardenality.com/Articles/16/How-To-Info/Planting/How-To-Plant-A-Japanese-Maple/default.html

http://www.gardenality.com/Articles/912/Plants/Trees/About-Balled-And-Burlapped-Trees/default.html

Please don't hesitate to ask any other questions you may have.

John)