If you want a special tree for your yard, and you live in plant hardiness zones 6-9, consider the Purple Ghost Japanese Maple. This is stunning and easy to care for if you can find the right spot in your yard for it. We will provide more information about this tree, including its appearance and colors, how it should be grown, the best planting location and soil conditions, how to care for it, and the advantages of adding it to your garden.
The Purple Ghost Japanese Maple is a knockout beauty, thriving in both partial and full shade, making it an ideal small tree for smaller gardens, wooded areas, and courtyards. It makes the perfect container tree for a deck or patio too or a great bonsai tree.
It’s a great tree for zones 6-9, with a mature width of 5 to 6 feet, and a mature height between 8 and 10 feet. The tree prefers moist, well-draining conditions. It prefers full sun to partial shade. It doesn’t tolerate droughts well.
When it comes to adding interest to a garden, and especially when it comes to breaking free of two dimensions and maximizing the space you have available, trees are essential. There’s a lot to choose from, but the Japanese Maple is one of the most popular. You can choose from a variety of sizes, shapes, and foliage colors to suit any garden style or location. Purple Ghost is one of the most impressive, red-leafed varieties.
As the name implies, Japanese maples are native to Japan, China, Korea, and neighboring areas. However, since trade with Asia opened in the 19th century, the trees also became popular in the west, where they grace numerous public and private gardens. It’s a small maple tree that grows to between eight and ten feet high in ten years and has a spreading shape. Expect it to grow five to six feet wide.
Purple Ghost Maple Tree Appearance and Colors
This tree’s most spectacular feature is its foliage. The leaves are a rich, deep purple color in spring and have unusual black veins. Five or more slender, deeply cut fingers extend from a central stalk in the classic maple shape. As spring moves into summer, the color softens into a red tint, and in fall the tree puts on a colorful display of yellows, oranges, and crimsons.
The leaves have a glossy, leathery appearance on the top surface and have an attractive iridescence underneath, making for an alluring effect when the wind stirs the tree. The Purple Ghost’s flowers aren’t very conspicuous – they’re red and you can’t see them well – and the leaves overshadow the winged seed pods it produces in spring and fall. It’s the foliage that people plant this tree for, and it’s so impressive it justifies the decision all by itself.
Growing Purple Ghost Japanese Maple Trees
Purple Ghost is relatively robust for its size. It does well in USDA hardiness zones six to nine, meaning it’s suitable for both coasts and a large chunk of the Midwest. It won’t’ do well in areas with harsh winter temperatures and it won’t thrive in dry soil, so if you live in New England or the northern Midwest consider something else, but it will thrive in most temperate zones.
Planting Location and Soil Conditions
When deciding where to put the Purple Ghost, choose a location with relatively light soil. Heavy clay won’t be good for it. Sandy or loamy soil is ideal if it is moist and well-drained. If you live in a southern state, try to find somewhere with either dappled shade or morning sun and shade during the afternoon. The foliage will be able to display its full splendor without the risk of scorching.
Even though it is best to protect the tree from the worst of winter’s icy blasts, this isn’t a major concern. You don’t have to worry about finding the right spot for Purple Ghost, since it thrives very well in a large container, where it can grow as high as five feet.
Caring for Your Purple Ghost Japanese Maple
Once it’s planted, it’s easy to maintain. Fertilizer isn’t necessary, and overfeeding can negatively affect its color. A soil rich in organic matter is the ideal habitat, and in those conditions, it doesn’t require any fertilizers. A balanced slow-release fertilizer every two years should be sufficient if the soil isn’t quite rich enough.
A layer of organic mulch will keep the roots from drying out in the summer, and if there isn’t much rain, it is almost essential. You don’t need to prune it unless you need to reduce its spread. If you do have to prune, wait until spring after the risk of frost has passed.
Adding Purple Ghost Maples to Your Property
Purple Ghosts offer many benefits. Because of its unusual coloring, it is highly visible in any setting, so the eye is naturally drawn to it. If there is an aspect of your garden you want to draw attention to, this is the way to do it – viewers will first admire the maple, then its surroundings.
Additionally, its spreading canopy can protect more delicate shrubs and plants along the borders and attract beneficial insects. Birds and small animals use the seed pods as food during the fall. Despite its modest size, the Purple Ghost is a truly impressive tree and one that we recommend to gardeners looking for something special.
If you’re looking for a tree that will add some color to your yard or garden and you live in one of the areas this tree does best, the Purple Ghost Japanese Maple could be a good choice. Make sure you choose a spot where it will get enough sun and shade and do what you need to take care of it during the summer if you don’t get a lot of rain. If you care for it well, it will liven up your garden for many years to come.