Best Japanese Maple for Hot, Dry Climate

[chansen]

This is great, thank you! So do you have the “standard” acer p.? Or any specific variety(s)?

Mine will winter in the unheated garage. My bench gets morning sun and afternoon shade. I can also move them to the (mostly) north side of my house, if necessary, where they’d be in shade for 95% of the day.

What @bonsaichile said. Most of what I have are regular old green acer p, but I have a couple different varieties too. Shade, water, protect from wind (just dries them out), and you'll be good.

 

[Melospiza]

Was in Utah last week and found a lot of Canyon Maple (Bigtooth Maple) growing in Bryce and Zion N.Ps. In many places it grew no more than 4 or 5 feet tall in thick stands that reminded me of bonsai forest plantings. The leafnodes appeared close-set and the fallen leaves from last year seemed fairly small, about the size of A. palmatum. I understand that it is very heat- and drought-tolerant. Might be a good backup for you if your A. palmatums just cannot make it...

 

[chansen]

Was in Utah last week and found a lot of Canyon Maple (Bigtooth Maple) growing in Bryce and Zion N.Ps. In many places it grew no more than 4 or 5 feet tall in thick stands that reminded me of bonsai forest plantings. The leafnodes appeared close-set and the fallen leaves from last year seemed fairly small, about the size of A. palmatum. I understand that it is very heat- and drought-tolerant. Might be a good backup for you if your A. palmatums just cannot make it...

They do ok as bonsai. A local club member has a bunch. They don't heal scars very well, and don't seem to be too fond of having their roots messed with. Leaf size and internodes are manageable.

One more thing, beware of anthracnose. Based on a previous thread from Smoke, I started spraying more fungicides in the spring (and got off my lazy butt and sprayed dormant oil too), and so far things look good. Lots of what I thought was sun/wind burn on the leaf edges was actually fungal. Daconil works well. I rotate with phyton as well, but that's needed to help keep the blight off my quinces too and is probably overkill for just anthracnose (though it does work).

 

[Dorky_gearhead]

I just gotta ask, what is your idea of hot? 95? 105? 110? As someone mentioned, smoke being in Fresno he easily gets 105, and maybe a few 110 days. I'm about an hour south of smoke, and I too get 105+ days. There are tons of JM around here. Some are even in direct sunlight all day long.

 

[ChristianDGreat]

I just gotta ask, what is your idea of hot? 95? 105? 110? As someone mentioned, smoke being in Fresno he easily gets 105, and maybe a few 110 days. I'm about an hour south of smoke, and I too get 105+ days. There are tons of JM around here. Some are even in direct sunlight all day long.

I are they getting direct full sun? I wonder if the fried leaves is because of direct sun or its just hot?

 

[Mikecheck123]

IMO the toughest cultivar is Sango kaku (coral bark). They're ubiquitous in the Bay Area for their drought and sun tolerance.

They're not a great bonsai species because of long internodes, but that wasn't the question asked.