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Coral-bark Maple
Plants Worth Having By Therese Ciesinski
(Acer Palmatum ' SangoKaku')
Why grow it: Heres a tree that gives you three seasons of brilliant color and texture, and thats not counting summers lush, green foliage. Thats just the windup to a spectacular fall and winter display. Autumn flushes the leaves bright red, gold, and apricot. Sango Kaku means coral tower or coral pillar in Japanese, and the pillars are the upright, coral-colored branches, which absolutely glow against snow and the gray-browns of the winter landscape. Delicate, yellow-green leaves tinged with red appear in spring.
Vital statistics: Coral-bark maple can grow to 20 to 25 feet in height, with a 15-to-20-foot spread. Grown in a container, it tops out between 6 and 10 feet. Its best in USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 5 to 8.
What it needs: This maples best bark color comes out in full sun or during cold weather. In warm climates, however, full sun can scorch the leaves, so plant the tree where it gets morning light and afternoon shade. Avoid a windy site. It can handle a clay or sandy soil, as long as it drains well. Maple roots dont run very deep, so be consistent with watering for the first two or three years, until its established. Cover the area around the trees dripline with a couple of inches of mulch, but as with all trees, dont allow the mulch to touch the trunk.
