You could grow a Japanese maple in a pot if you don’t have a lot of room in your yard or just want to bring one closer to your house. How difficult would that be? Is it even possible?.
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Japanese maples are one of the most common species of tree grown as bonsai. So, you’re in for a resounding yes – it’s possible, you can grow Japanese maples in pots!.
The dwarf or semi-dwarf cultivars are the easiest to grow, but any variety can be grown in a pot because their roots are all small and can handle being confined.
Now add the fact that these trees have a huge range of leaf and bark colors and leaf shapes, and you can see why they are good choices for growing in pots.
There are lots of reasons to grow a Japanese maple in a container. For starters, you can make a garden taller or plant a tree on the balcony of an apartment in the city.
Regardless of your motivation, the process is the same for planting and caring for these marvelous trees.
As far as trees that can be grown in pots go, Japanese maple is the best choice. Here’s everything you need to know, beginning with recommended cultivars to choose from.
Like we said earlier, any Japanese maple can be grown in a pot. Here is just a sampling of a few cultivars that make particularly good potted options.
Find this rare A cultivar if you want to put some life into a spot that gets some shade. palmatum dwarf. The leaves have an interesting crinkled texture, but that’s only the beginning.
The foliage of this ‘Higase Yama’ sport is bright pink at the margin with lime green centers. It stays under five feet tall for a compact but bold statement.
You can find ‘Abigail Rose’ available from Maple Ridge Nursery in one- and three-gallon containers.
The leaves have bright red and pink margins with pinky-green interiors. In full sun, the colors are more green with cream margins. It tops out at about five feet.
Pick up ‘Geisha Gone Wild’ in one- and three-gallon pots from Maple Ridge Nursery.
As the season changes, the eight-foot-tall tree’s leaves change color from green to pink to cream to bright pink.
Lovingly referred to as the “Russian spy,” A. palmatum ‘KGB’ is a dwarf plant that stays about three feet tall and has pink and red leaves that turn purple and red in the fall.
A. palmatum ‘Orangeola’ is beautiful on its own, but it’s also rather small, growing to be only three feet tall and wide when it’s fully grown.
With bold, bright orange foliage in the fall, it already stands out. When you add in the green leaves in the spring and the purple leaves in the summer, you have a show that is always changing.
Run to Planting Tree to nab a one- to two- or two- to three-foot-tall plant.
This one is my favorite because it’s named after the beautiful evening skies in my home state, but it would still be worth a look even if that wasn’t the case.
‘Oregon Sunset’ has a unique upright but spreading growth habit, sort of like a half weeping maple. During the spring, the foliage is a striking, bright red, transitioning to plum in the summer. By fall it fades to an elegant pastel orange.
It’s slow-growing, as are most A. palmatum cultivars, but if you give it time, it will eventually reach 10 feet tall.
To start growing your own, go to Planting Tree and buy a two- to three- or three- to four-foot tree.
Gorgeous A. palmatum var. dissectum ‘Red Dragon’ is a classic for good reason. The heavily serrated leaves look like bright red pieces of lace dancing in the breeze.
The foliage is reddish-plum in the summer and warm burgundy during the fall. If you have a sunny spot, this cultivar is ideal. It maxes out at 12 feet tall at maturity.
Get one at Fast Growing Trees and take it home. They sell live plants that are one to two or two to three feet tall.
I’ve had my eye out, looking for one of these A. palmatum cultivars, because it has one of the most elegant shapes of any Japanese maple.
The leaves are green palmate leaves, like those on upright forms. The branches grow straight up for a while before arching and falling back down. In the fall, it shifts to stunning shades of yellow, orange, and red.
While it grows to about 20 feet tall, it’s easy to keep smaller in a container with pruning.
This A. palmatum is wider than it is tall, topping out at eight feet tall but spreading 12 feet wide. With its beautiful shape and red, heavily lobed, and serrated foliage, it makes an eye-catching focal point.
If you want to add this beauty to your yard, Fast Growing Trees sells plants that are two to three or three to four feet tall.
Japanese maple trees are prized for their delicate foliage, graceful form, and brilliant fall color. Their naturally compact size also makes them ideal candidates for container growing.
Dwarf cultivars in particular thrive when kept in pots, bringing stunning beauty to patios, decks, and small yards.
In this guide. we’ll cover
- Benefits of dwarf Japanese maples
- Choosing the right cultivar
- Selecting an ideal container
- Best potting mix to use
- Planting and placement tips
- Care and maintenance
- How to overwinter containers
Read on to learn everything you need to know to successfully grow a dwarf Japanese maple in a pot!
Why Choose a Dwarf Japanese Maple?
Japanese maples are slow-growing trees perfect for container life. Dwarf varieties have the added benefit of staying under 10 feet tall, making them ideal options for pots.
Here are some top reasons to grow a dwarf Japanese maple in a container:
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Compact size – Fits easily on patios and decks in just a few feet of space.
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Stunning foliage – Delicate, lacy leaves in shades of green, red, orange, pink, and more.
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Brilliant fall color – Foliage transforms into vivid shades in autumn.
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Graceful shape – Naturally branching shape requires little training or pruning.
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Slow growth – Doesn’t quickly outgrow containers like faster-growing trees.
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Easy care – Simple watering and fertilizing is pretty much all they need once established.
For magnificent beauty in a petite package, dwarf Japanese maples are perfect potted plants!
Best Dwarf Cultivars for Containers
With hundreds of Japanese maple varieties, choosing the right one can be tricky. Here are 5 top dwarf cultivars that thrive when container grown:
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‘Mikawa yatsubusa’ – Dense mounded form under 3 feet tall; green summer foliage turns vibrant red in fall.
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‘Shaina’ – Grows just 2-4 feet tall; bright red leaves keep color all season long.
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‘Beni kawa’ – Green leaves with showy pink margins; mature height 4-6 feet.
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‘Glowing Embers’ – Lacy foliage emerges red, turns green, then fiery red-orange in fall; under 5 feet tall.
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‘Orangeola’ – Leaves change from spring green to summer purple to fall orange; max height around 5 feet.
Look for naturally compact cultivars under 10 feet tall at maturity for the easiest container care.
Select the Right Container
To pick the ideal container, consider these factors:
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Size – Choose a pot with a diameter 2-3 times wider than the root ball but no more than twice as deep. This prevents circling roots but avoids too much soil.
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Material – Plastic, wood, ceramic, and metal all work well. Ensure pots have drainage holes.
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Portability – Opt for smaller, lightweight pots if you’ll need to move the tree frequently. Larger pots may need casters.
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Style – Match the pot color and design to your landscape style and home architecture.
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Budget – Inexpensive plastic pots work perfectly fine, or splurge on something decorative.
For a young dwarf maple, start with a 5-7 gallon pot. You can always repot into something bigger down the road as it grows.
Use a Premium Potting Mix
A high-quality potting soil is key to growing healthy maples in containers. Look for:
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A mix designed for acid-loving plants like azaleas and rhododendrons. Japanese maples prefer a pH of 5.5-6.5.
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Good drainage from materials like peat, bark, perlite, vermiculite or sand. Dense clay-like mixes can suffocate roots.
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Moisture retention from peat and coco coir to prevent frequent drought stress between waterings.
You can make your own mix by combining peat or coco coir with perlite and bark fines for aeration. Or use an off-the-shelf soil formulated for maples and azaleas from brands like Espoma or Miracle-Gro.
Planting Tips for Container Maples
Follow these simple steps when planting your new potted maple:
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Loosen roots – Gently loosen any circling or tightly bound roots before placing in the container.
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Partly fill – Add some fresh potting mix to the bottom of the container.
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Insert plant – Place the maple in the pot at the same level it was growing in the nursery pot.
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Backfill – Add more fresh mix around the roots and tap down gently to remove air pockets.
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Water well – Water thoroughly until it drains from the bottom holes after planting.
Choose a sheltered spot with some afternoon shade. Dwarf maples can handle partial sun but may scorch in full, hot sun when potted.
Caring for Potted Dwarf Maples
Here are some tips for keeping your container maple thriving:
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Watering – Check soil daily and water when the top inch is dry. Be sure excess drains out.
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Fertilizing – Use a dilute liquid fertilizer every 2-3 weeks during spring and summer. Stop in late summer.
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Pruning – Prune only to maintain shape and remove dead branches. Avoid heavy pruning.
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Repotting – Repot every 2-3 years in early spring when roots fill the container. Trim back circling roots.
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Pest control – Watch for signs of common pests like aphids and scale. Treat organically at first sight.
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Leaf drop – Some leaf drop is normal in fall but excess drop can signal roots issues.
Keep potted maples well-watered and out of hot, drying winds for best health. Proper siting and care will keep them thriving.
Overwintering Containers
In zones 5 and below, container maples will need some special overwintering care:
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Move pots to a sheltered spot protected from winter winds, which can desiccate exposed roots.
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Keep soil evenly moist going into winter. Dry roots are susceptible to freeze damage.
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Allow dormant trees to remain outside until temperatures drop below 20°F.
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Bring pots indoors before temps drop too low. A garage or enclosed porch works well.
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Water lightly every few weeks while dormant indoors.
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Take back outside once daytime temperatures warm above 40°F in spring.
With a little extra protection, dwarf Japanese maples will sail through winter and be ready to awake come spring.
Showcase Your Dwarf Maple
Take some time to find the perfect spot to show off your potted Japanese maple. Here are some ideas:
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Display prominently on an entryway patio or next to your front door.
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Use as a centerpiece on an outdoor dining table.
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Place near a bench or seating area to admire up close.
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Border a small deck or balcony.
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Flank the sides of a front walkway.
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Tuck into an interesting corner of your landscape.
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Accentuate other container plantings.
Let your dwarf maple take center stage in your outdoor living space where you can fully appreciate its graceful beauty.
Bring Vibrant Color to Your Patio
Dwarf Japanese maples are ideal ornamental trees for container growing. Their naturally compact size, vivid foliage, and brilliant fall color shine when kept potted.
With the right planting mix, container, placement, and care, you can easily grow these stunning specimens on decks, patios, and in small garden spaces.
Show off their vibrant beauty right outside your door in a pot tailored to your personal style and space constraints. You’ll love watching your dwarf maple thrive through the seasons!
Choose a Potting Soil
Any good-quality potting soil will do the job, but we can do better than that, right?
The type of soil you should use depends on whether your container provides irrigation or not. You can use potting soil with the average amount of water-retentive material if you have built-in irrigation, which means that the plants will always get water.
We’ll cover this in a bit more detail in the care section below.
I’m a huge fan of FoxFarm Ocean Forest Potting Soil mix for several reasons.
It has the right pH for Japanese maples, is full of nutrients like bat guano, fish meal, and earthworm castings, and is the right texture so that water and air can get to the roots.
Honestly, if I could fill my entire garden with this stuff, I would. Until we can fill the world with this excellent soil, you can pick it up in 12-quart bags at Amazon.
If it doesn’t rain often or you don’t have a way to water containers, mix in coconut coir, sphagnum moss, or rice hulls to good potting soil.
I prefer the last option because rice hulls are exceptionally sustainable. They’re a waste product that’s totally renewable. They also increase aeration and improve drainage.
Nab a quarter, half, or full cubic foot of hulls at Arbico Organics.
Don’t place any broken pottery or rocks in the base of the container. I know this is a commonly recommended practice, but it won’t help with drainage. Just fill the entire container with your chosen medium.
To plant your new tree, first place a bit of soil in the container as a base. By all means, just guess how high the tree should be. You want it to be the same height it was in the pot it came in.
Remove the plant from its pot and gently loosen the roots. Place the plant into the container. If it is sitting too low, add a bit more soil. If it’s sitting too high, scoop a little out. Once you have the right height, fill in around the roots with soil.
Be sure to leave an inch or so of space at the rim to allow for easy watering. Water the soil well to help settle it. You’ll probably find that everything settled a bit more than expected. If so, add a bit more potting medium and water again.
Pick the Perfect Container
If you need to choose the right container, anything that can hold soil and has holes in it will do. But different materials can make your job easier or more difficult, depending on what challenges you’re facing.
When it comes to plants, metal containers get hot quickly and don’t keep the roots warm like, say, cement does. If you live somewhere that experiences freezing winters and sweltering summers, metal is probably not the right choice.
Terracotta is usually less expensive than other materials and lets air flow through it easily, but it can crack in places where it freezes often.
It’s hard to repot a big tree, and you don’t want to have to do it every year because the pot breaks in the winter. You can wrap it in burlap or cardboard to help prevent this, or go with a different material.
Plastic is a popular choice because it’s affordable, durable, and lightweight. Other choices, like cement or stone, last longer and keep the roots warmer, but these don’t. They do, however, hold water well.
Personally, I prefer glazed ceramic. They’re heavy, keep water in, won’t crack (as long as the glazing is still in good shape), protect the roots from changes in temperature, and last a very long time.
One with wheels, either built in or for putting the pot on, will save your back if you ever need to move the tree.
You can get fancy ones that stay in place and make your display look better, or you can get more practical ones that can hold a lot of weight, like this one by CASIMR that can help you move up to 440 pounds.
If you need some wheels to go with your tree, pick one of these up at Amazon.
When we talk about size, you should know that Japanese maple bonsai can grow in very small pots. That being said, unless you’re ready for a lot of work, you should probably pick something a little bigger.
To start, a five-gallon pot is a good size for a dwarf cultivar, but you’ll need to upgrade later.
For a full-sized tree, start with a 20-gallon container, minimum. Still, you might want to go up one or two sizes at some point, but this is a good start.
Whatever you choose, it absolutely must provide good drainage. If you use a pot that doesn’t have drainage holes, root rot will happen, not if, but when. In rainy regions, your tree might not even make it a year.
Cover the drainage hole with a piece of wire or plastic mesh before putting the potting medium in the pot if you don’t want the soil to run out.
Japanese maples and dwarf conifers in containers for the garden – Amazing Maples
FAQ
Can dwarf Japanese maples grow in pots?
How large should a container be for a Japanese maple?
Can a dwarf Japanese maple take full sun?
How big do dwarf Japanese maples get?
Where can I buy a dwarf Japanese maple tree?
You can purchase the ‘Beni Hime’ Dwarf Japanese Maple from Planting Tree. Hardiness: Beni-hime thrive in USDA zones 5-9. Light exposure: Full sun with partial afternoon shade. Size: maximum of 4 feet tall with a spread of6 feet, but maximum of 2 feet tall and wide in containers.
What is the best pot for Japanese maples?
The best pot for Japanese maples should provide adequate space for the tree’s shallow root system, have good drainage, and be sturdy enough to support the tree. These are the top things we look for when selecting a pot for Japanese maples: Size: Opt for a pot that is at least 2-3 times larger than the tree’s root ball.
How big a container should a Japanese maple tree be?
The container should be shallow and wide, as Japanese maples have shallow roots that must have room to spread out. A 5-gallon container is okay for starting out with dwarf varieties, but larger trees will need a 10-15 gallon container. Be sure to choose a pot with drainage holes at the bottom so that excess water can escape and not drown your tree.
How do you grow a Japanese maple tree in a pot?
It is important to select the right container for a healthy Japanese maple in a pot. The container should be shallow and wide, as Japanese maples have shallow roots that must have room to spread out. A 5-gallon container is okay for starting out with dwarf varieties, but larger trees will need a 10-15 gallon container.