‘Shaina’ Dwarf Red Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Shaina’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone

Height at Maturity: 4′ in 15 years

Width at Maturity: 4′ in 15 years

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Rounded

Growth Rate: Slow

Foliage Color in Spring: Bright Red maturing to Deep Red

Foliage Color in Summer: Burgundy Red to Light Red

Foliage Color in Fall: Bright Crimson Red

Light Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, moderately drought tolerant when established

Soil Type: Clay (amend heavy clay soils), Loam, Sandy (amend quick draining soil for moisture retention), Silty

Drainage: Moist but Well Drained – Well drained soil is a must!

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 is ideal

Maintenance: Low

Resistances: Deer, Heat Tolerant, Insect Resistant, Sun Tolerant

Description

If you’ve always wanted a magnificent Japanese Maple but don’t have the space, ‘Shaina’ is here to accommodate. A miniature version to maybe 4 feet tall and wide in 15 years that was discovered as a broom mutation on the ever-popular ‘Bloodgood’, Shaina is perfect for small garden spaces and containers. ‘Shaina is Hebrew for “beautiful’ and boy does she life up to her name. New leaves emerge a bright red maturing to deep red in spring then turning to a burgundy to light red in summer. With the arrival of cooler temperatures in fall the leaves become a brilliant crimson-red shades. As with its parent this one tolerates full sun however might appreciate some filtered sun or shade in the hottest afternoon hours in the South.

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, Shaina Japanese Maple is best used in landscape design as a focal point specimen to draw attention to a specific area of the home or landscape. Container culture can extend the useful range of Japanese Maples, and Shaina’s smaller stature is perfect for pots, planters and other containers. They are extremely easy to grow in containers, a practice taken to its most extreme form in the art of bonsai. Click on the link below under Helpful Articles for Japanese Maple container planting instructions.

Note: One Japanese Maple can make a landscape…that is, if you don’t overcrowd it with other trees and plants. Therefore, when choosing companions to plant under or around your Japanese Maple, make sure to select low-growing shrubs or groundcover plants that won’t interfere at all with your tree.

Growing Preferences

Though delicate looking, Japanese Maples are actually very tough and long-lived trees. They are very easy to grow in the ground or in containers.

In their natural habitat, Japanese Maples are understory trees, growing in dappled forest sunlight at the edges of woodlands. Ideally they prefer to be grown in similar conditions. Shaina Japanese Maple will tolerate full sun in the northern region where it’s listed to grow however will appreciate some shade or filtered sun during the afternoon in the warmer South.

Most any average garden soil will grow Japanese Maples. They prefer a moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter. As with so many other ornamental plants and trees, constantly soggy or wet soil can be problematic. So make sure to plant your Japanese Maple in a well-drained site.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Japanese Maple trees.

How To Plant A Japanese Maple Tree In The Ground

How to Plant A Japanese Maple Tree In A Pot

How To Fertilize And Water A Japanese Maple Tree

How To Prune A Japanese Maple

Plant Long & Prosper!

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