Japanese Maple in Canadian Prairies? No way!

I have been to Vancouver, Canada so many times and love it there. Not because it is a great city; because its a great place for gardening. The city is so green and every house's front yard is a work of art. Well most anyway. And every house has some kind of Japanese maple in every shade, color and form that you can think of. I was wishing how great would it be if I live in this city.

About 6 years I purchased a little Asian maple tree tagged as Acer pseudosieboldianum from the local garden center. The little tree is about 4 feet tall and have a very unique full moon like leaf. For twenty bucks I though this will make a nice patio plant. So plant sit in front patio for an entire summer and by fall, I moved the pot to the back yard knowing it wouldn't survive our harsh -30 winter. Fast forward 6 months later and while I was doing a spring clean up in the backyard, I noticed the plant is pushing out new leaf. What a surprise. This tough little guy had survived the old man winter. I google about this plant and found out Acer pseudosieboldianum is a relative of more commonly grown Japanese maple Acer palmatum and originated from Korea. It's native to more in land and adapted to harsher continental weather. It also more cold tolerant and display fall color as showy as its' cousin.

So I took the plant out of the pot, find a good shelter spot in the south west corner of the backyard and planted there. It's nicely shaded by a Spruce tree, a few Aspens and the Ohio Buckeye tree. Since than my little Korean maple has never fail to reward me yearly with it nice green leafs in spring and summer and fiery fall color in shade of orange, red and crimson in autumn. Asian maple like moist organic rich loamy soil and hate the wind and mid afternoon sun. As long as you can provide a shelter spot from the prairie wind, mid day heat and water generously throughout the growing season it will do just fine.