Japanese Maples: The Complete Guide to Selection and Cultivation

Among the first titles published at Timber Press, and with more than 150,000 copies in print, "Japanese Maples" is a classic. Japanese maples are unlike any other tree. They boast a remarkable diversity of color, form, and texture. As a result of hundreds of years of careful breeding, they take the center stage in any garden they are found. In the last decade, the number of Japanese maple cultivars available to gardeners has doubled and there is a pressing need for an up-to-date reference. This new fourth edition offers detailed descriptions of over 150 new introductions, updates to plant nomenclature, and new insights into established favorites. Gardeners will relish the practical advice that puts successful cultivation within everyone's grasp. Accurate identification is made simple with over 600 easy-to-follow descriptions and 500 color photographs.

About the Authors:

J. D. Vertrees (1915a"1993) was an entomologist, nurseryman, and educator who collected rare and unusual maples. At one time, his 1A -acre arboretum at Maplewood Nursery in Roseburg, Oregon, had the largest collection of Japanese maples in the United States. He amassed an impressive list of awards during his lifetime, including a Citation for Horticulture Research from the American Horticultural Society, a Special Achievement Award from the Oregon Association of Nurserymen, and the 1980 Thomas Roland Gold Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. In 1997, Japanese Maples was selected by the American Horticultural Society as one of the 75 Great American Garden Books. Peter Gregory, retired manager of the world-famous Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, England, has researched maples and other trees for more than 40 years. He began a career in tree research with the Forestry Commission Research Division and conducted various projects for more than thirty years, including provenance studies, species trials, and experiments on various plant establishment techniques, especially on difficult areas such as exposed sand dunes, mountain slopes, peat bogs, and infertile soils. For five years he managed the Royal Forests of Yardley Chase and Salcey in Northamptonshire before being appointed as manager at the world-famous Westonbirt Arboretum, one of the largest collections of trees in the temperate world-especially famous for its wonderful variety of maples of all species, ages, shapes, and sizes. He has continued his studies of maples since his retirement, becoming Chairman of the international Maple Society, which he helped found in 1990, and Editor of the Society's quarterly journal. He is recognized internationally as one of the leading authorities in all aspects of maples. Peter lives in Cirencester, England, where - besides trees - he enjoys photography, climbing, tennis, and squash.