Japanese Maples [Illustrated] [Hardcover]

J. D. Vertrees (Author), Hideo Suzuki (Introduction)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0881920487 | ISBN-13: 978-0881920482 | Publication Date: October 1, 1987 | Edition: 2

One of the first books published by Timber Press, this has remained a bestseller for over 20 years. It presents the history, taxonomy, nomenclature, culture, and propagation of Acer palmatum and Acer japonicum and illustrates hundreds of wonderful varieties of these versatile trees and shrubs.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The ultimate book about the aristocrat of trees ... the only English-language reference devoted to Japanese maples and one of the preeminent texts in the world for the propagation, identification and cultivation of this exceptionally useful plant."
—Joel M. Lerner, Washington Post, December 8, 2001 (The Washington Post )

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

"Since 1978, the basic information source on these small trees has been Japanese Maples by J. D. Vertrees. Now, we have a valuable new third edition greatly enlarged and brought up to date by maple expert Peter Gregory."
—John Van de Water, Newark Star-Ledger, October 21, 2001 (Newark Star-Ledger ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Book Description

One of the first books published by Timber Press, this has remained a bestseller for almost 20 years. It presents the history, taxonomy, nomenclature, culture, & propagation of Acer palmatum & Acer japonicum & illustrates hundreds of wonderful varieties of these versatile trees & shrubs.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 189 pages
• Publisher: Timber Press, Incorporated; 2 edition (October 1, 1987)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881920487
• ISBN-13: 978-0881920482
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,005,499 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

115 of 122 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Third Edition.? . . . buy the Second Edition, June 24, 2001

By 

Roff Arden (Tallahassee, FL United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Japanese Maples: Momiji and Kaede (Hardcover)

Japanese Maples (Third Edition) does contain more pages, more words, and larger type. Unfortunately, the revision author, English writer Peter Gregory, lets his biases and ego show. Instead of improving on Vertrees' work, he has rewritten large portions of the text, removing some of the data and substituting sloppy verbiage and English gardening jargon. Example: the removal of 'samara' replacing it with 'nutlet.' Why? It serves no purpose and 'samara' is the correct term, which Mr. Vertrees explained in his original work. Substituting an alphabetical listing of all Acer Palmatums for the groupings that Vertrees used makes it more difficult to find an appropriate maple for any given garden situation because you have to know the name--and who knows the names of more than 400 plants and what they look like? Many of the new cultivars that have been added are not accompanied by photos, including some of the plants Mr. Gregory describes as being oldest and most well-known. In the Growing Section, Mr. Gregory states that containerized maples require only average care. Yet further on in that section, he states that one should not leave containerized plants unattended for periods of time (such as vacations!). That doesn't sound like average care.

In my opinion, this is some of the sloppiest work I have seen in years.

Since I have owned and relied on a valued Second Edition for the past 14 years, I am returning this book.

48 of 52 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is an outstanding guide to Japanese Maples!, May 2, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Japanese Maples (Hardcover)

Few books come close to this one in terms of pure useful information. If you have little experience growing Japanese Maples, this book is easy to read and understand. For the hobby arborist, Vertrees' guide is full of listings of trees to put on your wish list. Think of this as the dictionary and encyclopedia of well known cultivars. Most people have only been exposed to a single common variety of Japanese maple at their local garden center. Vertrees' guide shows that there are many different kinds of maples being grown. Their beauty can be astounding, and this book clearly demonstrates that with detailed photographs.

55 of 63 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Expecting More ... Disappointing, June 5, 2002

By 

Chris Patry "cpatry" (Palos Verdes Estates, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Japanese Maples: Momiji and Kaede (Hardcover)

After looking at the pictures of the book on-line, it appeared to be a publication which was both beautifully photographed and written at an expert level - which would be helpful to the home gardener. Not so. Most of the photographs are of leaves only, not of the whole tree. This makes it less useful as an aid in deciding which varieties might fit into a particular landscape. The written descriptions alone cannot convey the variety and beauty of these trees. Very disappointing. Also, other than inadequate leaf photographs and short varietal summaries, the planting and care sections are woefully short. I have had trouble with leaf burn on my trees, and this book gave no additional insight on how to avoid it other than what I have read in other, less presuming publications. This book does not rise to the level of authority and usefulness in aspires to.