Gardening Australia – May 2019

GARDENING AUSTRALIA MAY 2019 33

PLANTS

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’ in leaf, with its contrasting bark;

its bare red stems are striking in winter; in autumn, the golden hue of the foliage is spectacular.

L

ast year, I was invited to join the tree

committee on my local Kentish Council

in north-west Tasmania. Our mission:

to plant street trees in the municipality.

Trees in streets polarise communities, so our

mayor, Tim Wilson, decided to provide plenty

of opportunity for community consultation.

The plan is to feature different trees in

different streets, starting with High Street,

one of the major residential thoroughfares in

Sheffi eld. It has mostly older-style houses,

with traditional cool-climate, exotic ga rdens.

We’ve proposed alternating a Japanese maple

(Acer palmatum) for yellow to orange autumn

colour, and a pink dogwood (Cornus fl orida)

for spring. Both tick lots of boxes and comply

with the height limit imposed by powerlines.

To ensure uniformity, the committee decided

to plant the very special coral bark maple, or

‘Sango-kaku’ (also known as ‘Senkaki’), with

coral pink to red branches that look beautiful

in winter when the tree is bare. It grows 4–5m

high and wide but can be pruned if necessary.

Japanese maples wouldn’t be the street tree

of choice for many areas, but in Sheffi eld, with

its mild climate, lots of rain and good soil – and

in a street that’s home to many keen gardeners

• it is sure to make a statement. It has also
  been given the thumbs-up by residents.
  As Japanese maples have fi ne leaves, they
  need shelter from hot, drying winds that can
  burn foliage, especially in summer. The ideal
  location is a sheltered garden or courtyard.
  Possums love maples even more than roses,
  so cover small plants at night if these pests visit.

good companions

As the ‘Sango-kaku’ maple looks attractive

year-round, you can underplant it with

shrubs, bulbs and perennials that put on a

seasonal display. Kurume azaleas, which are

also native to Japan, team well with maples,

fl owering before the tree gets its spring

leaves. Other suitable companions are

hellebores for winter fl owers, and Japanese

windfl owers for late-summer and autumn

colour. For a simple foliage combination,

choose clumps of mondo grass. GA

at a glance

common name

coral bark maple

botanic name

Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’

(syn. ‘Senkaki’)

plant family

Sapindaceae

plant type

deciduous tree

5m

4–5m

fullsun,semi-shade

bare-rooted winter,

potted plants anytime

suitable

‘Sango-kaku’ is available at garden

centres – either in pots in spring and

summer, or as bare-rooted stock in

autumn and winter – or by mail order

in winter from specialist tree growers.

where

to

BUY

PHOTOS

ALAMY, ISTOCK