A Gallery of Japanese Maple Trees and Shrubs - Examples of their Use in Gardens

Japanese Maples have to be one of my favorite shrubs and small trees, ever. I don't recall exactly when I began liking them, but I do recall when I began to learn more about them and knew that I wanted to have them in my own garden one day. We lived in Texas, and were invited to a garden luncheon at the home of a wonderful gardener. We all brought food to share and ate outside in her lovely backyard. The whole yard was magnificent, and the Japanese Maples really made a huge impact in the shady areas.

They lend such a touch of class to any area, especially smaller areas where room is limited. Since this time I have seen their popularity grow more than I could have ever imagined. It stands to reason as surely others would love this gorgeous leaved plant as I do!

The leaves can vary some, but their coloring and design are all beautiful to me. The finer, delicately designed leaves are amazing, as are the not so intricately designed ones. My goal with this hub is to just share some of my favorite photos showing Japanese Maples near and far in garden design. Even without many flowers around, the contrast alone that a Japanese Maple gives against other greenery is simply beautiful.

Photos of Japanese Maples in Gardens

Photo 1 - The Japanese Maple Tree is along a path in a Japanese Garden. I love that there is a Japanese sculpture there, along with the raked sand and pink azaleas. You can see the neat design of the branches and the lovely deep burgundy color of the leaves.

Photo 2 - This photo of a Japanese fountain at the end of the little path shows 3 separate Japanese maples that I can see. There is one larger tree in the back on the right, and two Japanese maple shrubs on each side of the stone pathway there. I try to image this same photo without the Japanese maples, and it loses a lot of its color and character. So you can see how they round out a view in the garden.

Photo 3 - This Japanese maple is at the lower portion of the photo, and has a very low growing habit that seems to hug the ground it is growing out of. I love this wooded garden area. Its shaded here a lot of the time, so this plant is very happy there. If you look closely, you can see a bubbling little brook flowing right next to the Japanese maple. The sights are lovely here, but so are the sounds. Its a great place to go and get some peace and serenity or just enjoy nature.

Photo 4 - This photo shows a more bushy shrub like Japanese maple, in front of a peony garden. At the point this was taken, the peonies were really just getting ready to get into their full bloom stage, which I love. Again, the added color to the area adds so much, from the Japanese maple.

Photo 5 - The sunlight is directly hitting this Japanese maple, so the reds really come out, which I love! You can see a little path, and a garden bench to sit and rest a while. This is right across from a little pond area where you can hear the water trickling down. I have often seen birds here, and heard them chirping in the trees as well. This photo is one I liked because it highlights the color of a Japanese Maple more than just its deeper burgundy.

Photo 6 - This is more from a distance and includes my favorite Japanese garden bridge, but one can see the value of Japanese maple color here as well. Their trees and shrubs add so much, they seem to make them come alive almost. Lots of green can be seen, but the reds seem to add an almost perfect contrast.

Photo 7 - Several shrubs and small trees from across a pond. While so much more beautiful up close, they are gorgeous from a distance as well.

Photo 8 - Example of the Japanese maple's colors standing out among the greenery of a larger garden setting.

Photo 9 - This is clearly in the Japanese garden area again, where one can see Japanese sculpture and symbols in the garden. Paired here with some fading azalea blossoms and some evergreens, the maple's color is ongoing. Its a good example of it being the larger among the surrounding plants and shrubs as well.

One can sense the importance of the aesthetic appeal of maples when you look at some photos like these, and try to imagine the maples not being there. Especially for the shade gardens and shady areas where lots of bright flowers don't grow naturally, Japanese maples make a great companion plant in the garden. That they have a beautiful design on top of that is just a plus to me.