How to Plant, Grow, and Care For ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese Maple Trees

Japanese maples rank high on my short list of favorite ornamental trees. Their graceful forms and slender, shapely branches have few rivals. Let’s not forget their most striking quality: they have the most gorgeous foliage. 

Nearly year-round, these trees add color and fluttery movement to the landscape. They are excellent specimen trees, and hold their own, and they complement other plants as well. They come in a wide array of sizes, and their seasonal foliage is unparalleled. 

The ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple is one of the most sought-after varieties. It’s also not difficult to grow in the right environments.

What Is It?

‘Bloodgood’ is a beloved cultivar of Japanese maple. It’s prized for its stunning foliage, elegant form, and year-round attractiveness. This deciduous small tree is ornamental and also surprisingly durable. Its excellent qualities make it a timeless and reliable cultivar for temperate gardens. 

Characteristics

‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple is a small to medium-sized tree with a graceful, rounded canopy and lacy, delicate leaves. In spring, the leaves show off their most vibrant shades of vivid crimson. They have bits of chartreuse that come in toward the center of the canopy. Eventually, the leaves mellow to a deep burgundy with green undertones. 

In the fall, those fiery red tones flare up once again, setting the canopy aflame before falling for dormancy. Even while dormant, this is a beautiful tree with smooth, grey-green bark and a refined branching habit.

At maturity, this maple will be between 15 and 25 feet tall, with most leveling out around 20 feet. The canopy is a similar width to the height of the specimen. 

Native Area

The Japanese maple is native to parts of East Asia, Korea, China, and Russia. It’s been cultivated heavily in Japan, which is where it gets its common name. You’ll find these growing in the wild across wooded hillsides and in the understory of forests. It grows wonderfully beneath the canopy of larger trees. 

The cultivar ‘Bloodgood’ comes from the Bloodgood Nursery on Long Island. It came out for sale prior to WWII. It’s a winner of the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. 

Planting

‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple is small enough to plant in a large container if you live outside its natural range. Its roots are not aggressive, and it won’t get in the way of other nearby plants. It makes a great neighbor, particularly for other trees. It doesn’t mind being in the shadows a bit, especially in warmer climates.

In general, spring and fall are the ideal times to plant your Japanese maple. Fall is my personal recommendation as the warm soil and cool air provide a low-stress environment. This allows for faster root establishment and a stronger tree in the spring. 

Choose a semi-sheltered location where your tree will have some protection. Avoid full sun exposure except in colder climates. Dig a hole that is as deep and twice as wide as the root ball. The top of the root flare should sit just at ground level. Loosening the surrounding soil will encourage better root formation. 

Fill the hole with water to saturate the ground, and then wait for it to drain. Gently slide the root ball out of the nursery pot and set it in the hole. Adjust it to face the direction you find most pleasing, with its best side facing outward. 

Backfill around the rootball with the native soil you removed. You can mix in some organic materials to help lower the pH of the soil and add nutrients. Then, water the ground thoroughly to settle the soil around the roots. Apply a two to three-inch layer of mulch around the root zone, leaving a few inches of space around the trunk to prevent rot.

Growing from Seed

Most Japanese maples are the result of grafting or rooted cuttings. However, a determined gardener with some experience can certainly grow one from seeds. It’s a complicated process, however, and the result is rarely true to the parent plant. There is likely to be variation in leaf color, shape, and size between seedlings. 

How to Grow

Once established in a spot conducive to its nature, ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple is not difficult to care for. It’s surprisingly heat and drought-tolerant, though I do recommend some watering during periods of drought.

Light

‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple thrives in bright, filtered light. It doesn’t mind some direct sun in the morning, but its leaves are sensitive to heat and intense sunlight. Morning sun and afternoon shade will contribute to a richer, more saturated leaf color. 

In northern climates, this tree will be fine with full or nearly full sun conditions. More sun will bring out the red tones in this type of climate. In warmer regions, too much sun will dull the leaves, turning them more of a bronze color, and sometimes burning the tips. 

Too much shade will bring out the green tones in your maple’s leaves. Aim for about four hours of direct sun early in the day for optimal results. This will create the richest hues and maintain the moisture in the leaves. 

Water

When it comes to moisture, ‘Bloodgood’ is all about balance. It likes moisture, but the roots are sensitive to wet soil, which can cause root rot. These have shallow root systems, so they’re sensitive to extremes when it comes to fluctuations in soil moisture. 

Aim for consistency in watering. Once established, this tree should be fine with normal rainfall except in times of prolonged drought. When first planted, it’s important to maintain steady moisture in the soil so the roots develop robustly. Water a newly planted maple once or twice a week, deeply. Make sure to saturate the soil about six to eight inches deep. 

Soil

‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple prefers its soil to be moist, well-draining, and slightly acidic. It thrives in a loose, humus-rich texture that allows roots to develop and provides bountiful nutrients.

When planting, if you have heavy clay or poor, sandy soil, amend it with plenty of well-rotted compost or manure. This will lower the pH and provide the nutrients and moisture your tree needs. 

Aim for a pH around 5.5 to 6.5 for optimal performance. Maples need magnesium and iron, and acidic soil helps to break down those nutrients. This makes them more available to the plant. Mulch around the base of the tree once or twice a year to continuously improve the soil structure and replenish nutrients. 

Temperature and Humidity

Temperate describes the preferred climate of your ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple. The ideal temperature range is cool to mild (55-85°F or 13-29°C). It can tolerate lows down to -10°F (-12°C) in the winter once established. But as a young plant, it’s important to give it protection in the winter. A bit of mulch goes a long way for this tree. 

Hot temperatures are tougher, with extended periods over 90°F (32°C) leading to leaf scorch. I can tell you that in my zone 9 garden, I have two of these, and they are both planted in the shadow of larger trees. They thrive most of the year. However, in the middle of summer, they need ample moisture, or the leaf tips turn brown. 

Japanese maples are flexible about humidity. They tolerate a wide range and are happiest between 40 and 70%. If you live in a dry climate, you may need to water more frequently to offset the lower humidity. 

Fertilizing

Japanese maples are slow and graceful. They perform best with gentle feeding and rich soil. Too much nitrogen can lead to spindly growth. A balanced approach that focuses on root and foliage growth is best. 

Use a slow-release, balanced formula, preferably one for acid-loving plants (camellia or azalea food works well). A 10-10-10 or 14-14-14 is a good range to stick to. You can also go the organic route, using compost, fish emulsion, manure, and worm castings. 

Time your first application for early spring, just as the new foliage shows up. When you see the buds start to swell, it’s time. One more application in early to mid-summer will suffice, but avoid late summer or fall fertilizing. 

Maintenance

Japanese maples have a naturally beautiful and well-balanced shape, so pruning is seldom structural. A subtle but effective shaping once or twice a year will maintain the health and enhance its natural beauty. 

In late winter, while your tree is still dormant, is the best time to do any structural work. This is when you can best see the branching pattern. Remove any dead wood, and selectively thin out the interior to open the canopy. This allows air to circulate and sunlight to reach the inner branches. 

Make an effort to make fewer cuts, and small ones, and step back to observe often. Allow the tree’s natural form to serve as a guide. Remove crossing branches, and cut the branches cleanly. 

In mid-summer, if your tree is looking a little wild, feel free to do some light thinning, just to encourage that natural shape. It’s always a good time to remove dead and damaged wood. 

Propagation

There are several ways to propagate a Japanese maple tree: by softwood cuttings, grafting, or layering. Each has its benefits and drawbacks, but all are relatively reliable. These trees are slow to root, so softwood cuttings are the slowest method, but it’s fairly straightforward.

From Cuttings

Take your cuttings in the late spring or early summer, from wood that is firm, but still flexible. Your cuttings should be four to six inches long. Dip the cut end into rooting hormone and then insert that end into moist potting medium. A mixture of peat and perlite works well. 

Keep your cutting in a humid spot, out of direct sunlight. It can take several months for roots to form this way, so it’s important to be patient. When your tree has rooted, you’ll be able to tell by lightly tugging on the stem. If it doesn’t move around, it has roots. 

By Grafting

The most common way to propagate named cultivars is by grafting. This combines the desirable scion (top of the tree) with a hardy rootstock. This method requires some skill and precision. You also need access to a hardy rootstock. 

I won’t go into too much detail, because grafting is an involved process. However, the best time to do this is in late winter. You cut a scion from the tree you want, and attach it to a compatible rootstock. Then seal it with grafting tape and keep it warm and humid until it grows together. 

By Air Layering

This is a great method for home gardeners because it’s not terribly involved, and it’s reliable. Air layering consists of forcing a branch to grow roots while it’s still attached to the parent tree. 

In spring or early summer, choose a healthy branch that’s about as thick as a pencil. Then remove a one-inch ring of bark in the middle of the branch, exposing the cambium. Wrap the bare spot with moist sphagnum moss and then cover it with plastic to hold in the moisture. 

It takes about two to three months for your branch to grow roots in this spot. You can easily check on them by unwrapping and looking inside the moss for roots. Keep it moist, and then once the roots are well-formed, you can remove the branch below the roots and pot it. 

Pests

Most of the pests you’ll encounter here are the common garden varieties. Aphids, scale insects, spider mites, and Japanese beetles are the most prevalent.

Blast the tree with a strong stream of water from a hose. Neem oil or horticultural oil works well on aphids, scale, and spider mites if water doesn’t work. Japanese beetles are a little trickier, but you can either hand-pick them in the morning or use traps. 

Diseases

Root rot is a possibility for this tree, like most others. If you don’t have proper drainage or water excessively, you run this risk. It’s rare to see this issue with a mature tree; it’s typically something seen in younger specimens. 

Verticillium wilt is a serious disease that causes branch dieback along with wilting and yellowing of foliage. It’s soil-borne, and there is no chemical cure for it. Avoid planting in areas where this fungus has been an issue. Focus on good watering habits and drainage, and prune out any affected tissue. Keep the tree healthy by feeding lightly. 

Powdery mildew and leaf spot are both fungal diseases that often crop up in humid environments. They both show on the foliage and can block sunlight, hindering photosynthesis. Good watering practices and removal of affected leaves are the best treatment. 

Frequently Asked Questions