Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’

Description:

Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’ is probably the best red dissectum for hot climates. 'Tamuke yama' not only tolerates but actually thrives in our hot Georgia summers even in full sun. It is one of the fastest growing dissectums maples available, slightly more irregular and upright than other dissectums. Old specimens exist that are 12-15 feet tall.

10 year size:

Height: 4-6 Feet    Width 6-8 Feet

Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’ grows similarly in size and shape to most other dissectum Japanese maples. Low grafted Tamuke yama trees when left alone may top out at four or five feet while other Tamuke yama Japanese maple trees can be trained to reach 8 to 10 feet tall. The natural habit of a Tamuke yama Japanese maple is going to create a weeping Japanese maple that is roughly 4 to 6 feet tall in 10 years.

The width of Tamuke yama will naturally expand to about 6 or 8 feet wide in ten years without any intervention. However, Tamuke yama can be easily trained by pruning to maintain a smaller width.

Colors:

Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’ leafs out in the spring with a is dark red color that holds very well especially in sunny locations. This color only fades slightly in the summer, making this one of the most consistent looking Japanese maples there is. Fall color is a mix of fiery reds with a hint of orange undertone that predictably puts on one of the falls best shows.

Structure:

Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’ has a typical habit for a dissectum Japanese maple. Tamuke yama grows with a weeping, cascading, or spreading habit. When a Tamuke yama is kept low, the structure of this Japanese maple tree will be low and spreading across the ground. If trained or allowed to achieve a little more height, Tamuke yama will be a Japanese maple tree with more of a cascading habit with gentle weeping branches. Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’ has one of the strongest looking branching structure of all the weeping Japanese maples.

History:

Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’ gets its name from the famous mountain Tamukeya located in Kyushu. The mountain is famous for its shrine to Musahi Myamoto, a famous warrior. We have tracked down a couple of interpretations of the meaning of the name Tamuke yama'. One is "hands folded in prayer on the mountain". Another has to do with the Zen Buddhists term tamuke which is used for spiritual offerings or the embodiment of sprit and yama meaning mountain which lends itself to a translation of "spirit of the mountain".

'Tamuke yama' has been grown in Japan for around 300 years, it was listed in Japanese literature at least as early as 1710, but greatly ignored in the U.S. until the last 20 0r 30 years. Recently it has become accepted as one of the best dissectums in cultivation.

Hardiness:

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5-9

AHS Heat Zone: 5-10

Sunset Climate Zone: 3-10, 12, 14-24, 28-37

Japanese maples such as Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’ are hardy in most regions of the United States. The only areas where they will not work are areas of extreme cold or extreme hot temperatures. Areas of extremely high altitudes may also not work particularly well for Japanese maples. Japanese maples will also thrive better in areas of consistent rainfall. These zones are general rules, but exceptions do apply. Do your own research on your particular area before purchasing a Japanese maple, but Japanese maples are generally a very hardy tree. Tamuke yama is often thought of as one of the toughest lace leaf Japanese maples for all climates.

Sun Tolerance:

The majority of Japanese maples are going to prefer some variation of morning sun and afternoon shade. While this is great in a perfect world, it is not realistic for every Japanese maple. Many Japanese maples can handle much more sun, such as Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’. Tamuke yama can handle up to all day sun with little issues. However, better color will be maintained in the summer if given a break from the hot afternoon sun.

Planting:

Planting a Japanese Maple in the Ground:

All Japanese maples should be planted slightly elevated on a mound. This can be done by leaving a small portion of the rootball above ground level when planting. Dirt is then brought up to the sides covering up the majority of the roots. The end result is an elevated mound up to the base of the tree. The root flare where the trunk ends and the roots begin should be visible above ground level when planting is finished. A light layer of pine straw or pine bark mulch around the tree is all the mulch that is needed for a Japanese maple. Don’t pile too much mulch up against the trunk of the tree.

Planting a Japanese maple in a Container:

Japanese maples like Tamuke yama work great as container plants. When planting a Japanese maple in a container, we typically recommend a 50/50 mix of soil conditioner and potting soil. This will provide a good growing medium for your tree while also allowing for proper drainage. You still want to plant your Japanese maple slightly elevated in the container with the root flare above the dirt level.

Soil Requirements:

Japanese maples like Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’ prefer slightly acidic soils, but they are very adaptable to nearly any soil. We rarely recommend any soil amendments when planting a new Japanese maple other than possibly some soil conditioner or top soil to fill in here and there. The main thing to consider with soil is the drainage. Japanese maples love well draining soil. They like to get wet, but they don’t like to stay wet. This is another reason that we recommend planting Japanese maples elevated on a mound, so that the water can drain out from the roots of the Japanese maple tree.

Watering:

Japanese maples like moist well draining conditions. They like good soakings, but then that water needs a chance to drain away. Japanese maples do not like wet feet. When you first plant your Tamuke yama, you should water no more than once or twice per week depending on the time of the year. Your Tamuke yama Japanese maple may need more water when planted in the summer versus if it is planted in the fall or winter. After a couple of months you can back off on the watering a little bit as the tree is getting established. There is no need to water your Tamuke yama while it is dormant unless there is no rain for several weeks. Your Tamuke yama should be able to live off of nothing but rain water after the first year in the ground. You can give it a drink again if there hasn’t been any rain for a couple weeks or so. Important: most people have more issues overwatering their Japanese maple than under watering it. Don’t kill your Japanese maple tree with kindness.

Special Care:

There is very little special care required with Japanese maples, including Acer palmatum ‘Tamuke yama’ You want to fertilize your Japanese maple in the spring with an organic Japanese maple fertilizer such as Happy Frog. This will ensure that your Tamuke yama Japanese maple is receiving all the nutrients it needs to flourish in your yard.

Pruning:

You can prune your Tamuke yama Japanese maple in the winter when the tree is dormant. This is the best time to prune a Japanese maple because the energy of the tree is not flowing as actively as it may in the spring or summer. Tamuke yama takes very well to pruning and can become an elegant tree over time with proper care. There are many different ways to prune a Japanese maple. As long as you only prune in the winter and never take more than a third of the tree off at any given time, then it is hard to go wrong. Pruning is all about your personal preferences and making your tree look good for you.