Japanese maples have a well-deserved place in the hearts of many gardeners. They are great specimen trees because they have beautiful leaves in the summer and fall, roots that can handle cold, and a shape that is often compact and easy to work with. They are often bought as saplings, but it’s also possible to grow them yourself from seed. Keep reading to learn more about how to germinate Japanese maple seed.
Japanese maple trees produce some of the most ornate and beautiful seeds in the plant kingdom. Known as samaras, the seeds are housed in paper-thin pods that resemble mini helicopters swirling down from the trees in fall. Recognizing Japanese maple seeds is key to identifying seedlings in your garden and collecting seeds for propagating new trees
The Structure of Japanese Maple Seeds
Japanese maple seeds develop in paired, winged pods known as samaras. Samaras act as natural parachutes or propellers, allowing the seeds to be carried away from the parent tree by wind. This aids in seed dispersal.
The samaras emerge green early in the growing season then turn red or brown when ripe. Each samara contains a single seed. The samaras grow in clusters of 2-6 pods.
In terms of size and shape samaras range from
- 1⁄2 to 3⁄4 inch long
- 1⁄4 to 3⁄8 inch wide
- Propeller or helicopter-shaped
- Paper thin and may be tinged red or green
The paired samaras are attached at the fattest part of the pod, with the wings spreading out on either side at roughly a 45 degree angle. This unique structure allows the samaras to efficiently catch air currents and flutter or twirl to the ground when released.
When Do Japanese Maples Produce Seeds?
Japanese maples flower in spring, with seeds maturing in fall. Samaras will start to turn from green to red or brown in September or October as they ripen.
Once ripe, the samaras will detach from the branches and twirl to the ground. In some cases, they may remain on the branches into winter. Ripe samaras are dry and brittle when crushed.
The best time to collect Japanese maple seeds for propagation is after they have fallen naturally or when the pods detach easily with a gentle shake or tug. Avoid prematurely picking unripe green pods in summer.
Where to Find Japanese Maple Seeds
In fall, keep an eye out for the helicopter-like samaras twirling down around Japanese maple trees in your neighborhood. They accumulate in the leaf litter below the canopies of the trees.
Check for freshly fallen samaras if propagating in fall, as seeds lose viability when overwintered on the ground. You may find stray samaras that traveled farther distances from parent trees tucked into beds and borders.
Leave some samaras untouched under the maple trees to self-sow. Many of these seeds sprout the following spring, resulting in free seedlings!
What Japanese Maple Seedlings Look Like
When maple samaras sprout the following spring, the emerging seedlings have distinct characteristics that make them easy to identify:
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First rounded seed leaves (cotyledons) are bright green and fat.
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Second set of true leaves are shaped like miniature Japanese maple leaves – deeply lobed with pointed tips.
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Stems and leaf undersides often have a reddish or purple blush.
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Fast initial growth while roots establish.
Don’t confuse young maple seedlings with weeds like bindweed. The lobed leaves and red stems set them apart once the second set of true leaves emerge.
Storing Japanese Maple Seeds for Propagation
To save seeds for propagating new trees:
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Collect freshly fallen, ripe samaras or detach from branches after pods turn brown.
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Remove the wings and separate seeds from pods. Discard any that are moldy or damaged.
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Place seeds in an airtight container in moist perlite, peat, or other media.
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Store in the refrigerator or other location with temps around 40°F for at least 90 days of cold, moist stratification.
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In spring, remove and sow seeds following maple seed propagation tips.
With their spinning samaras and distinct seedlings, Japanese maples produce some of the most fascinating seeds you’ll find. Now that you know how to identify them, you can collect these winged wonders for growing your own beautiful new Japanese maple trees.
Growing Japanese Maples from Seed
Can you grow Japanese maples from seed? Yes, you can. Can you grow any variety of Japanese maple from seed though? That’s a very different question. Most of the beautiful Japanese maples you can buy at the nursery are grafted, which means that the seeds they produce won’t grow into the same tree.
Anytime you plant an apple seed, you’ll probably get a crabapple tree. The same is true for Japanese maple seeds: you’ll probably get a regular Japanese maple tree. There’s a good chance it won’t be as interesting as its parent Japanese maple, even though it will still have red leaves in the summer.
What does that mean? It’s not impossible to grow Japanese maples from seeds! Japanese maples are great trees that always turn beautiful bright colors in the fall. Since you never know quite what you’re going to get, you might stumble across a really beautiful specimen.
How to Germinate Japanese Maple Seed
Japanese maple seeds are ripe in the fall. This is the time to collect them– when they’re brown and dry and falling from the trees. You can plant both seeds that have fallen to the ground and seeds you’ve picked from the tree.
When planting Japanese maple seeds, it’s important to pretreat them before sowing them in the ground. For the winter, put your seeds in a paper bag and keep them somewhere cool and dark. In the spring, you can plant them outside. You don’t have to store the seeds over the winter if you plan to start them indoors in a pot. You can start treating the seeds right away.
First, break off the wings of the seeds. Then, put the seeds in a container with water that is warm but not so hot that you can’t put your hand in it. Leave them there for 24 hours.
How to Germinate Japanese Maple Seeds | A New Experiment
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