Landscape Spotlight: Coral Bark Japanese Maple, ‘Sango Kaku’

Are you looking for the, oh-so-perfect tree to enhance your landscape?  Something that isn’t very high in maintenance yet clean and beautiful?  Look no further than the Coral Bark Japanese Maple.  This medium-sized deciduous tree has a lot of charming attributes and offers a four-season appeal, which makes it a prime choice as an addition to your landscaping!

If you would like to incorporate this tree into your landscape, it is best planted in the spring or fall so it can establish itself before the intense heat of the summer or extreme cold of the winter takes hold.  Once established, it can tolerate a variety of soil types and will eventually earn the characteristic of drought resistance.  However, keep in mind to plant this tree on the west or south side of your home as an extra layer of protection from wind and the suns’s intense daytime rays, as it grows best in sun to partial shade.  After being introduced into your landscape, this tree will grow steadily for the first few years then take on a branching out and thickening growth habit.

The elegant look of this tree makes it a perfect focal point for your yard; it won’t take long for its beauty to be noticed.  The deep-cut, light green leaves stand out in a perfect contrast to its coral colored bark in the warmer months and in the autumn, the leaves smoothly transition to an equally alluring golden-yellow before they fall away.  Because of its aesthetic, we strongly recommend planting it where it can easily be seen from the inside of your home.  Peeking out your window at this beauty when everything around is covered in snow, is a real winter treat.  As the bark’s color becomes more prominent, it can easily be compared to the interest of a red twig dogwood, just in tree form!  The coral-red colored bark intensifies as the temperatures get colder, making a gorgeous statement in an otherwise lackluster winterscape.

The unusual and dramatic beauty of this tree is a true attention grabber that will take your backyard to another level.  The magnificent year-round enchantment alone is enough to ask your landscape designer for it by name.  If you feel that you would like to take your whole backyard to another level as a comprehensive outdoor living space to relax, enjoy nature or entertain, reach out to MasterPLAN Landscape Design.  We are truly committed to designing and constructing low-maintenance outdoor living spaces where you can create long lasting memories with your friends and family.