By Gary Wade
University of Georgia
Glowing Embers isn’t just another Japanese maple. It’s a
stunning
Georgia Gold Medal Winner.
|
Chosen for its vigorous growth rate, brilliant fall color and
adaptability to a range of Southern landscape conditions,
Glowing
Embers is from University of Georgia horticulture professor
Michael Dirr’s plant evaluation program.
The original seedling selection from which others have been
propagated can be seen at the entrance to the Callaway Building
at the State Botanical Garden of Georgia in Athens.
Unlike many Japanese maples that require shade and moist,
organic
soils, Glowing Embers thrives in full sun. It’s hardy in zones 5
to 8, and it tolerates drought better than most trees in its
class.
It won’t tolerate wet sites, however, or sites where extreme
fluctuations in soil moisture are common. Good soil drainage is
essential.
Glowing Embers?
Glowing Embers Japanese maple is aptly named. It provides a
kaleidoscope of color in the fall as the leaves fade from green
to purple, flourescent orange or yellow, much like the
ever-changing and mesmerizing embers of a wood fire.
The color sequence of each leaf varies as autumn deepens. A
single branch may display four distinctly different colors at
the
same time.
Glowing Embers is a medium-size deciduous tree, growing 30 to 40
feet high with an equal spread. Its leaves are finely toothed, 2
to 3 inches long and about 3 inches wide with five distinct,
pointed lobes. The tree has a dense canopy when it’s in full
leaf. It’s an excellent shade tree for residential landscapes
where space is limited.
Easy propagation
Unlike other Japanese maples that are grafted onto a rootstock,
Glowing Embers is called a “clonal” selection. That means it’s
propagated from cuttings and isn’t grafted onto a rootstock.
Nurserymen refer to this as “growing on its own roots.” They
love
this characteristic because it makes their production more
efficient and less time-consuming.
Once it’s established, Glowing Embers will benefit from spring
applications of a complete garden fertilizer such as 16-4-8 or
12-4-8.
Prune it as needed to thin out branches and develop a desired
shape. Although the tree has above-average drought tolerance, be
prepared to provide some supplemental irrigation during
droughts.
Glowing Embers Japanese maple is quickly becoming a highly
demanded and popular plant in the nursery industry as landscape
professionals and home gardeners discover its award-winning
qualities.
(Gary Wade is an Extension Service horticulturist with the
University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental
Sciences.)
