Sister Ghost Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Sister Ghost’

Plant Details

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

Height at Maturity: 8-10′

Width at Maturity: 8-10′

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Broad

Growth Rate: Slow

Foliage Color in Spring: White to Soft Green with Dark Green veining

Foliage Color in Summer: Soft Green to Green shades with dark green veining

Foliage Color in Fall: Glowing Yellow and Orange shades

Light Needs: Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, Shade or Mostly Shade

Water Needs: Average, moderately drought tolerant when established

Soil Type: Clay (amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sandy, Silt

Drainage: Moist But Well-Drained; Japanese maples do not constantly soggy soil!

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 is ideal

Maintenance: Low

Resistances: Deer, Insect, Disease, Shade

Description

An absolutely lovely small tree that never goes unnoticed by visitors to our gardens during spring, summer and fall, the Sister Ghost Japanese Maple literally glows in the garden. In spring, the delicate, heavily dissected leaves emerge near-white with web-like green veining, appearing as little ghosts at the twig tips. As the season progresses the leaves turn to more of a glowing soft green and then to lime to medium green during summer with dark green veining. Cooler temperatures in fall bring glorious shades of yellow and/or orange and coral. Foliage color is best on Sister Ghost in a location where she is sheltered from direct afternoon sunlight. Morning sun with afternoon shade or all-day filtered sun or dappled shade is fine.

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, the Sister Ghost Japanese Maple is best used in the landscape as a focal point specimen to draw attention to a specific area of the home or landscape. That said, you can plant it in groupings where space allows or use two to frame an entrance.

Suggested Spacing: At least 14 feet apart for space between trees

Container culture can extend the useful range of Japanese Maples. 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 selecting companions to plant under or around your Japanese Maple, make sure to select low-growing shrubs or groundcovers that won’t interfere at all with your tree.

Growing Preferences

Though delicate looking, Japanese Maples are actually very tough, long-lived trees that are 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 Sister Ghost prefers to be grown in similar conditions. You can find a complete listing of our sun-tolerant Japanese Maple varieties here.

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 get 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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