What is the Best Tree to Plant in the Seattle Area?

Many of our customers find themselves scratching their heads to figure out the best tree to plant in their yard. Often, they have a huge Douglas Fir or Cedar that must be removed because it has outgrown its urban setting, and they want to replace the too-large tree with one that is the right size for their yard.

Our recommendation? A Japanese Maple!

The Japanese Maples grow beautifully in the Seattle area, and there is sure to be one (or more!) that fits your garden and color scheme. Take a look at just a few of the many varieties available to us:

The 'Crimson Queen' laceleaf maple is very popular in the Seattle area. This is a slow-growing cultivar that, in 30 to 50 years, may reach 6'. Most we see around here are around 4' tall. This cultivar holds its color well into the hot weather, with burgundy most of the year and crimson in the fall. There are other cultivars that look similar but grow faster, such as the 'Tamukeyama' and 'Garnet.'

This cultivar grows to about 5' to 8' and is excellent for container growing. Leaves tend to hang down, giving a cascadiing look. Red, yellow, and gold in the fall, this is a sun-tolerant plant.

The Emperor grows to about 25' tall, at a rate of one foot per year. The stem is nearly black, with a translucent red leaf that is small and delicate, giving the tree an open, airy appearance. This beauty can tolerate hot sun and wind without wilting.

The Katsura has year-round color and good vigor. There are two different varieties: one is a dwarf shrub that grows to 5; - 6', and the other is a full-grown tree or about 25'. New growth is orange in the spring, then it becomes a golden yellow, then a rich green with lighter tones in summer, and finally a fine yellow with orange tones in the fall.

This is known as the weeping willow of Japanese maples. This tree may reach 15' - 25' in many years, and the crown may be nearly as wide. In summer, it is bright green, and in the fall it is a beautiful gold and crimson mix. The photo shows a young example; a mature tree's branches "weep" to form a curtain around the tree.

Another group of cultivars offer variegated leaves. This beni shishihenge is a smallish shrub that grows to 6' - 12'. It's not as vigorous as some others, but it is a real eyecatcher. This tree is still fairly rare, and it has various spellings. Some other, more common variegated cultivars are readily available at our local nurseries.

The Seiryu is a vigorous, vase-shaped, often multi-trunked, green laceleaf. It's a relatively fast grower, and it will reach 10' to 15' in ten years. The new growth is a light, bright, gold-green; the medium-green summer foliage is lacy and delicate; and the red and gold fall color is dramatic.

All Japanese maple photos and information come from the following website:  www.worldplants.com/mapleintro.htm