Seeing Red (leaves in spring)

Our Shaina Japanese maple is donning its full spring glory—bright red leaves.

While most deciduous trees are beginning to pop with new green, some Japanese maple varieties are putting on their first show of red. Shaina, a slow-growing drawf variety, is one.

I planted a Shaina last spring, so this is the first time I’ve been able to watch the leaves bud out. They begin a nice crimson in late March. As summer takes off, more green pigments appear, which has the effect of deepening the leaves to a dark maroon. At the end of autumn, when everything else is bare and brown, Shaina leaves put on a second (and fiery) act.

A few new leaf shoots grew from the trunk, and I trimmed them to preserve the tree’s form.

For the photo at the top of this post, I plunked the trimmings into the moss that carpets a portion of our backyard. The contrast of a bright green background highlights the details of the delicate leaves.

Author: Terri Robertson

I'm a novice gardener who creates arrangements using cuttings and plants from my yard, vintage containers, and found objects both natural and manmade. In my work life, I am a writer and editor, who recently joined the team of Flower magazine as digital media manager. View all posts by Terri Robertson