From Book News, Inc.
In this update of the major reference by the late renowned Japanese maple authority with the apt name of Vertrees, Gregory, the British chairman of the Maple Society, covers recent name changes and adds some 100 new cultivars of Acer palmatum (momiji) and other species (kaede) to the descriptions of about 400 total. Includes lists of cultivar names and their English translations, maples not yet assessed, and cultivar names not described elsewhere; a guide to tree uses and characteristics; Maple Society information; a glossary; and lovely color photos. Earlier editions appeared in 1978 and 1987.Copyright © 2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


D.H. Pfister, Choice, November 2001
Whether planting a single specimen tree or seriously collecting maples, this is the reference book to consult.


Joel Lerner, The Washington Post, December 8, 2001
One of the preeminent texts in the world for the propagation, identification and cultivation of this exceptionally useful plant.


James H. Flynn Jr., American Reference Books Annual 2001
This book [is] a most valued one for horticulturalists, nursery personnel, and gardeners of all sorts.


Nancy Fiers, Fine Gardening, April 2002
This is a real jewel among gardening books. A dream book.


Book Description
The book is the flagship of Timber Press. It is among the first books we published more than two decades ago and it continues to be one of our signature bestsellers. A comprehensive source of information on the culture, identification, and nomenclature of Japanese maples, it describes each of the 320 cultivars of Acer palmatum and 60 cultivars of other Japanese maple species, plus briefly mentions another 150 cultivars that may prove to be promising new plants. The index lists every cultivar name published, so that Japanese Maples will continue to be the foremost reference book on this wonderfully versatile collection of ornamental plants. In this fully revised and updated third edition, we have added important new maple cultivars (approximately 100) that have been introduced since the last revision by Vertrees in 1987. This brings to nearly 400 the total number of plants described. We have updated nomenclature to conform to current standards, included more photos, (approx. 25% more, 313 vs. 252), and improved a number of photos. We have also arranged cultivar descriptions in alphabetical order irrespective of their group, so replacing the original format of alphabetical arrangement by groups. 313 color photos, 8 1/2 x 11"


From the Publisher
This third edition of the classic book on Japanese maples is certain to attract new converts to these superior garden trees. When the first edition of this book by J. D. Vertrees appeared in 1978, there had been no definitive text in English describing them in detail; these trees were the province of specialists only, and few even knew their correct names. Today, Japanese maples are found in nearly every garden center; many new varieties are bred and introduced each year. The inclusion of these new varieties, together with updated information on plant names which renders obsolete some names in the previous editions, makes this new update by Peter Gregory an indispensable reference. With their remarkable diversity of color, form, and texture, Japanese maples are unlike any other kind of garden tree. The shapes and patterns of Japanese maple leaves, in particular, can defy the imagination. Resulting from hundreds of years of careful breeding and observation by Japanese horticulturists and their western counterparts, these maples are aristocratic trees and shrubs destined to be specimen plants in any garden in which they are found. Approximately 100 new cultivated varieties (cultivars) have been added to this edition, resulting in descriptions of more than 400 cultivars in all. With 313 color photographs, this book includes 60 more photos than the previous edition. Modern methods of color reproduction and printing have allowed sharper, more accurate versions of Vertrees’s original photos to aid the gardener in identification and selection. With comprehensive and practical information on growing Japanese maples well, this book will appeal to gardeners at every level.


About the Author
J. D. Vertrees (1915--1993), one of the world's acknowledged authorities on Japanese maples, was an entomologist, nurseryman, and educator who collected rare and unusual cultivars of Acer palmatum. At one time his 1 1/2-acre arboretum at Maplewood Nursery in Roseburg, Oregon, had the largest collection of Japanese maples in the United States. Today his nursery is a private garden, and the results of his extensive research efforts live on in this classic and definitive book. During his lifetime Mr. Vertrees received many awards, including the 1978 Special Achievement Award from the Oregon Association of Nurserymen, the 1980 Citation for Horticultural Research from the American Horticulture Society, the 1980 Thomas Roland Gold Medal from the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, and the 1981 Citation for Distinguished Horticulture Achievement from the Oregon Federation of Garden Clubs. In 1997 Japanese Maples was selected by the American Horticultural Society as one of the 75 Great American Garden Books. Peter Gregory, retired curator of the world-famous Westonbirt Arboretum in Gloucestershire, England, has researched maples and other trees for more than 40 years. Some of the techniques he developed to ensure the health and well-being of the exotic and mature trees in the Arboretum's collection have been adopted by other arboreta and botanic gardens. Mr. Gregory is chairman of the international Maple Society since its founding in 1990 and editor of the Society's quarter's journal. Like Mr. Vertrees, he is recognized internationally as a leading authority on Japanese maples.


Excerpted from Japanese Maples by J. D. Vertrees, Peter Gregory. Copyright © 2001. Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
I admit prejudice, but I feel this group of plants has one of the greatest ranges of use and beauty of any horticultural plants in use today. The diversity of size, color, form, shape, and utility is so great that, when Japanese maples are selected wisely, they will fit almost any need. We do not think of them as flowering shrubs. Even though maples have very interesting blossoms, some quite colorful, they are not a predominant characteristic. Many people do not even realize that they flower. Blossoms of many cultivars, such as Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’, are quite striking, though not large and perhaps of interest only to the more discerning gardener. However, the lack of bold blossoms is more than offset by the great variation of leaf color and shape which these plants can add to the color of the garden landscape. Spring foliage among the cultivars offers a wide choice in plant selection. In the larger forms, there are the bold greens with rust or tangerine tones in the new foliage. The brilliant reds, orange reds, and maroons of many upright palmatums will lend accent to plantings. Wide choices also are possible with the variegated white-pink-green leaves of such maples as ‘Asahi zuru’, ‘Kasen nishiki’, ‘Oridono nishiki’, and many others. Nothing could look more like flowering shrubs than the extraordinary shell pinks found in ‘Corallinum’, ‘Karasu gawa’, and ‘Matsugae’. The eye can never pass lightly over the flare of color presented by the brilliant flaming foliage of ‘Beni komachi’, ‘Chishio’, ‘Seigai’, or ‘Shin deshôjô’, to name only a few. These brilliant fire-reds, crimsons, and tangerine-reds are so intense at times as to be almost fluorescent. All these color combinations occur in the larger, more upright forms. The same choices occur in dwarf cultivars which lend themselves to small companion plantings or container growing. Unusual types such as ‘Higasa yama’ have a “flower” quality as the new buds unfold. They open much like popcorn with irregular unfolding leaves colored in yellows and reds. ‘Tsuma gaki’ has new foliage which approaches a floral display. These stages last for several weeks, thus giving a long “flower” period. All the colored foliage retains its brilliance for at least one or two months, which is longer than the period for which most of our flowering shrubs will perform. The dissectums offer unusual brilliance and delicacy. Combinations of lacelike tracery of form, plus crimson, maroon, green-red, or variegated white-pink-green tones blend in the most pleasing way with the delicate cascading of the plant form. These make breathtaking specimen plants. They are even more striking when planted in groups in the proper setting. A second color display occurs each fall, which is surely an added bonus when compared to most flowering shrubs. This show of fall foliage color is absolutely spectacular. The bold green ‘Ôsakazuki’, for example, adds a strong green accent all season. Then in the fall it bursts forth with the most vivid crimson flame display imaginable. Even in early morning light or late evening dusk, the tones carry a fluorescent quality that demands attention. Equally vivid, but of a different crimson tonality, is the display of Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’, the fern-leaf japonicum. I hesitate to list specific cultivars, fearing readers will limit their thinking to just these few, when the possibilities are almost limitless. The several cultivars in the Palmatum Group all present vivid yellow, orange, and orange red foliage. Most of the selections of A. japonicum are outstanding for fall color. The delicate golden fullmoon maple, A. shirasawanum ‘Aureum’, follows the spring display of chartreuse-yellow-green with a fall display of gold, crimson, and orange, blended at times with purple overtones. One must see to believe.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

"A comprehensive source of information on the culture, identification, and nomenclature of Japanese maples, it describes each of the 320 cultivars of Acer palmatum and 60 cultivars of other Japanese maple species, plus briefly mentions another 150 cultivars that may prove to be promising new plants. The index lists every cultivar name published, so that Japanese Maples will continue to be the foremost reference book on this wonderfully versatile collection of ornamental plants. In this fully revised and updated third edition, we have added important new maple cultivars (approximately 100) that have been introduced since the last revision by Vertrees in 1987. This brings to nearly 400 the total number of plants described. We have updated nomenclature to conform to current standards, included more photos, (approx. 25% more, 313 vs. 252), and improved a number of photos. We have also arranged cultivar descriptions in alphabetical order irrespective of their group, so replacing the original format of alphabetical arrangement by groups."--BOOK JACKET.

SYNOPSIS

In this update of the major reference by the late renowned Japanese maple authority with the apt name of Vertrees, Gregory, the British chairman of the Maple Society, covers recent name changes and adds some 100 new cultivars of Acer palmatum (momiji) and other species (kaede) to the descriptions of about 400 total. Includes lists of cultivar names and their English translations, maples not yet assessed, and cultivar names not described elsewhere; a guide to tree uses and characteristics; Maple Society information; a glossary; and lovely color photos. Earlier editions appeared in 1978 and 1987.