'Orange Dream' has odd green trunk bark. It gets scorch in hot summer weather, and really could use afternoon shade.
I got this one as a 5 gal. at Bosco's and put it at the very back of the Birch Garden for some height.
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| Spring foliage emerges orange (late April) |
'Orange Dream's' best season is early spring when the leaves are a stunning copper. It changes to yellow-green, then has nice fall color, but early spring is the time I notice it most.
I'm at a loss on how to prune it. The branches have developed tight twiggy clusters at their ends that don't look right but I am not sure what to do with that.
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| May 28, 2011, the foliage becoming more chartreuse |
In April when there is nothing else in the landscape, the soft orange leaves pop from a distance.
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| May 4, 2013 |
It becomes a background plant in summer as the leaves turn yellow-green. In fall, it turns a brighter yellow-gold and copper.
In 2014 it was still small and almost shrublike, but from afar it shines.
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| June 14, 2014 |
The foliage is so striking -- new leaves really are orange, then they morph to chartreuse. But the tree is in too much sun, and it has an odd habit of forming bunchy clumps of leaves at the end of branches. Then in summer the bunchy clusters brown and scorch.
It has bare twigs at the growing ends of branches. I think it is a result of the scorch problems -- this delicate tree is just in too much sun.
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| June 1, 2014 |
But it seems to be if not thriving, then at least surviving, where it is.
The tree is taking on an odder and odder shape . . .
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| May 6, 2015 |
. . . . and the deformed branching made this Japanese maple look heart shaped!
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| May 17, 2015 |
In 2016 I pruned the lower branches to open up the stems and it looked better.
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| 6/8/16, bottom branches pruned up and the heart shape is less noticeable this year |
