Fall Color on Japanese Maples

The fall colors are just incredible this year and during the past week, it looks like the saturation filter has been dramatically increased. 

The most colorful has to be the maples. In the top photo of our front pathway, you can see 'Skeeter's Broom' on the left and 'Sango Kaku' (the Coral Bark maple) on the right. 

I've never seen color on 'Dancing Peacock' (in a pot) like this before -

Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' ('Dancing Peacock')

And 'Golden Full Moon', very small right now, is just getting started -

Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum' ('Golden Full Moon')

The color on 'Osakazuki' occurs very late, sometimes too late, but happens overnight - 

Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki'

And then it changes even more. The upper photo was taken three days ago, the bottom on yesterday - 

'Sango Kaku', better known as the Coral Bark Maple, so called because of the red stem color (on newer stems) -

'Skeeter's Broom' is one of the prettiest maples in front -

'Shaina' is a variety I recommend for tight spots -

'Ryusen' is a weeping variety -

'Ryusen' as seen from the back with the morning sunlight shining through it -

'Beni-Hime'

And finaly, 'Bloodgood', which was already here when we moved in -

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy