Japanese Maple, Green Cascade Acer japonicum 'Green Cascade' Height: 7 feet Spread: 10 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 5a Description: Makes an exceptional landscape accent; may need staking when young to encourage weeping habit; keep moist as leaves tend to scorch in heat; brilliant yellow to orange/red fall color; attracts nesting birds. Needs afternoon shade and wind protection. Ornamental Features Japanese Maple, Green Cascade is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It features dainty corymbs of red flowers hanging below the branches . It has attractive dark green deciduous foliage. The serrated lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of yellow, orange and scarlet in the fall. Landscape Attributes Japanese Maple, Green Cascade is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a more or less rounded form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage. This shrub will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics. Japanese Maple, Green Cascade is recommended for the following landscape applications; Planting & Growing Japanese Maple, Green Cascade will grow to be about 7 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more. This shrub should be grown in a location with partial shade or which is shaded from the hot afternoon sun. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America. Special Attributes Japanese maples generally produce a few to no seeds called samaras, which are commonly referred to as helicopters 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch long, and approximately 1/4 inch wide. Growing in pairs, they start green then mature red during the growing season
