Water – drought tolerant after a few years in moisture retentive soilĬompanion planting – ferns, hostas and hellebores are all perfect partners. Soil – fertile, moisture retentive soil is ideal but this tough tree is pretty adaptable. Mature size – rarely exceeds 30’ usually 10-12’ tall and wide in a home garden Sometimes a more subtle beauty is needed. Like the dogwood, it grows best in the understory at the woodland edge but will also grow more lankey in the forest interior and smaller, denser in the open-where it can burn in the. Light requirement: Morning sun and afternoon shade or dappled light all day. USDA zones: 6 to 9 ( find your zone) Water requirement: Drought tolerant once established but prefers a moisture-retentive soil. Not every plant in your garden has to scream “Look at me!”. Plant description: One of the most desireable native plants, this small tree is famous for fall color and its ability to hold stream banks and eroding soil. Origin: Native from southwest British Columbia to Northern California, usually within 200 miles of the Pacific Ocean. The highly ornamental Japanese maples are outstanding and I have quite a few (with plans for a few more!), but there is something to be said for looking at your surroundings, seeing what does well and emulating that. I am often inspired by Nature and this little maple is a case in point. 'Little Gem' promises to be a delightful colorful dwarf cultivar

Marvelous Leaves Look Nearly Circular and Feature 7 or 9 Lobes. Small, Intricate Deep Red-Purple Flowers for Springtime.

Native to North America from British Columbia to Northern California. As autumn progresses they make a spectacular sight dotted on the hillsides surrounded by evergreens. Useful, Versatile Native Specimen Vine Maple Tree. The color deepens to mid-green by summer but is perhaps best known for its array of fiery fall colors which can start as early as August. In spring bright green leaves unfurl, held on red stems, each circular leaf pleated like a tiny fan. Typically vine maples are multi trunked branching from close to the base which creates an interesting silhouette, especially in winter when the smooth olive green bark is revealed. At the edge of a woodland where it receives more sun the habit will be more rounded. The Vine Maple, although not really a vine, is so-called because it has very slender, often sprawling, branches. It grows from around 16 to 26 feet tall but occasionally will grow into a small or medium-sized tree, reaching 50 feet. It can be found in quite dense shade under a canopy of towering conifers in which case its growth habit will be rather leggy like ours. The Vine Maple’s usual form is a multi-trunked, large shrub or tree. In its’ natural environment the vine maple is an understory plant – either a large shrub or small tree depending upon your perspective, slowly growing to 30’ tall and 20’ wide. A scene which can be seen in many parts of the PNW in fall as vine maples take the limelight

Vine maple