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Japanese maple planting zones

Japanese maple covers 5b–8b, but the zone is only half the answer. Japanese maples are grown for their leaves, and both types below unfold new ones in spring, so the date the spring freeze window closes in your zone is the date to watch.

Published October 23, 2026 · Cite this page

The types

Which Japanese maple you are choosing between

Type Zones A late freeze
Upright Japanese maples Acer palmatum (e.g. ‘Oshio Beni’, ‘Bloodgood’, ‘Burgundy Lace’) 5b to 8b, then too hot Exposed Airy trees that UC Tulare/Kings says are best suited to the understory of a forest; up to about 20 feet.
Laceleaf Japanese maples Acer palmatum Dissectum group (e.g. ‘Crimson Queen’) 6a to 8b, then too hot Exposed Shorter, with finely dissected leaves; UC Tulare/Kings says these take center stage in a flower bed.

Zone ranges and bloom habit are a judgement — horticultural convention, not a measurement, and the same standing as the heat ratings on our crop tables. Everything below this panel is measured.

Zone by zone

Which Japanese maples are hardy where, and when the freeze lands

The two left columns come from the variety table above — a judgement. The two right columns are measured: they are the median last spring freeze across every NOAA station the zone’s ZIP codes actually cite, and how much later the one-year-in-ten freeze arrives.

Zone Hardy here New leaves exposed Last spring freeze 1 year in 10
5b 1 of 2 1 April 22 – May 28 across 752 stations about 15 days later
6a 2 of 2 2 April 18 – May 24 across 1004 stations about 16 days later
6b 2 of 2 2 April 11 – May 19 across 991 stations about 16 days later
7a 2 of 2 2 April 5 – May 9 across 941 stations about 17 days later
7b 2 of 2 2 March 30 – April 26 across 679 stations about 16 days later
8a 2 of 2 2 March 20 – April 16 across 689 stations about 17 days later
8b 2 of 2 2 March 7 – April 17 across 700 stations about 19 days later

“Hardy here” and “new leaves exposed” are a judgement, from the variety table above. The freeze dates are measured — NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, and the range is across the stations the zone’s own ZIP codes cite rather than one station chosen to speak for it.

Why the date matters

Your zone does not tell you your last freeze

Across the 7 zones above that publish a range, the median last spring freeze varies by 36 days inside a single zone — 27 days even in the tightest, zone 7b, and 41 in the widest, zone 8b. Two gardens with the same zone on the label can be a month apart on the date that decides whether Japanese maples’ new leaves come through.

And the median is not the risk. Across the 4,563 NOAA stations serving these zones, the freeze that arrives one year in ten lands a median of 16 days after the median date, and 21 days after it at the tenth of stations where that tail runs longest. A variety marked exposed above has its new leaves standing in front of that whole window, not in front of one date.

⛔ We publish no temperature at which a bud is lost. NOAA’s normals give dates, not damage thresholds, and inventing a number to bridge the two is the one thing this site refuses everywhere else. What is on this page is when the freeze arrives and which new leaves are out when it does.

Upright or laceleaf

UC Master Gardeners in Tulare and Kings Counties say there are over 300 Japanese maple cultivars, some green-leaved and some red. Upright, airy trees such as ‘Oshio Beni’, ‘Bloodgood’ and ‘Burgundy Lace’ are best suited to the understory of a forest; shorter ones with finely dissected leaves, such as ‘Crimson Queen’ and the laceleaf maples, take center stage in a flower bed. They can reach a mature height of 20 feet, but grow slowly.

Oregon State University Extension says a wide range of cultivars reach 10 to 25 feet, some with burgundy leaves, many with finely cut foliage and exceptional fall color, and some with red to red-orange branches in winter. It rates Japanese maple hardy to zone 5 or 6.

For dark leaves, Penn State lists ‘Emperor 1’, ‘Bloodgood’ and ‘Tamukeyama’ among plants whose foliage looks almost black, and says the more sun these plants get, the darker the leaves become; shaded and newly emerging leaves are usually lighter.

Sun, shade and leaf scorch

UC Placer County says Japanese maples are very sensitive to heat, strong sunlight and low humidity, and prefer morning sun or filtered light. A “sun tolerant” cultivar only tolerates more sun than other Japanese maples, it says, and still prefers shelter from intense afternoon sun. UC Tulare/Kings says all of them perform better in that valley sheltered from wind, with afternoon shade in summer.

Placer County also says a tree grown in a shaded nursery and moved straight into full sun will burn, the way pale winter skin burns on the first beach day. And dry, crispy leaves are more often a water problem than sunburn: sunburn discolors the middle of the leaf on the sunniest side of the tree, while too little water dries the tips and edges first.

Planting and watering

UC Placer says summer is the worst time to plant trees; autumn is best, with spring a close second, so roots can grow before the heat. Water often enough to keep the soil slightly moist and deeply enough to send roots down, but not so often that the soil stays saturated: over-watering is a leading cause of Japanese maple death. Lay about 3 inches of mulch, pulled back from the trunk.

For a tree already in afternoon sun, Placer County says expect crinkly leaves for several years until the roots develop, and do not remove the dry leaves, which shade the trunk and branches.

Pruning

UC Tulare/Kings says February is a perfect month to prune there: with the leaves gone, the branch structure is easy to see. Remove dead branches and those that cross, overlap, grow inward or run parallel to another; cut just above the branch collar; and do not remove more than about 30% of the tree in a year. The aim is layers of branches, like a series of fans, that you can see between.

Where to cut a branch: just outside the branch collarA trunk with a side branch. The slightly swollen ring where the branch meets the trunk is the branch collar. A green line marks the cut just above the collar.✓Just above the collar(UC Tulare/Kings)Branch collar
UC Master Gardeners in Tulare and Kings Counties say to cut just above the branch collar. Drawing: USGrowersGuide, from that source, as quoted above.

In Minnesota, University of Minnesota Extension says to prune all maples after their leaves are fully expanded, in late spring or early summer, to prevent sap from “bleeding” — which it says causes little harm — and never to remove more than a quarter of the live foliage. Oregon State says prune early for good branch structure and avoid heavy pruning later.

WhereWhenHow much
Tulare and Kings Counties, California February; light thinning in summerNo more than about 30% a year (UC)
Minnesota After leaves fully expand, late spring or early summerNo more than a quarter of live foliage (UMN)

Late frost and new leaves

A Japanese maple is grown for its leaves, so a late spring freeze matters when they unfold. UC Master Gardeners in Butte County say frost damage happens when ice crystals form inside plant tissue, and that leaves and tender new growth are usually affected first: they wilt, then turn brown or black and crisp.

Butte County advises leaving frost-damaged growth on the plant until the full extent of the damage is clear in spring, then giving little or no fertilizer and less water than usual until the plant looks normal again. The freeze table on this page shows when that risk usually ends in your zone.

Japanese maple scale

Penn State calls Japanese maple scale a recently detected armored scale that feeds on Japanese maple and many other woody plants, causing dieback and sometimes twig death. It is easiest to spot in the dormant season on twigs and branches, especially at the branch collar. Penn State says prune out and destroy heavily infested branches, and treat when the crawlers are active, late May through mid-August in Pennsylvania; soil-applied systemic insecticides may not work as well on it.

Common mistakes

We found no Texas A&M or UF/IFAS source on Japanese maple, so southern advice on this page is limited. The sources here write for California, Oregon, Minnesota and Pennsylvania; in Texas or Florida, ask your county extension office.

Your ZIP code

Your ZIP, your answer

Enter your ZIP code to see your USDA zone, which of the 2 types on this page are rated for that zone and when its late-freeze window runs, read from the table on this page, and the freeze dates of the NOAA station nearest you.

Works for all 40,502 US ZIP codes. Freeze dates need a NOAA station within 100 km; where there is none, the page says so rather than estimating one. Your ZIP code stays in your browser: the page downloads the file of ZIP codes that share its first three digits and looks yours up there. It is not stored or tracked.

Your answer appears here.

Full details for any ZIP code: ZIP code zone finder.

Questions

What zones do Japanese maples grow in?
Oregon State University Extension rates Japanese maple hardy to zone 5 or 6. UC Master Gardeners in Tulare and Kings Counties say they perform better there sheltered from wind, with afternoon shade in summer.
Why are my Japanese maple leaves brown and crispy?
UC Master Gardeners in Placer County say it is more often too little water than sunburn: a water deficit dries the tips and edges of the leaf, while sunburn discolors the center on the sunniest side of the tree.
When should I prune a Japanese maple?
UC Master Gardeners in Tulare and Kings Counties say February is a perfect month there, removing no more than about 30% of the tree a year. University of Minnesota Extension says prune maples after the leaves fully expand, in late spring or early summer, to avoid sap bleeding.
Can a Japanese maple grow in full sun?
UC Master Gardeners in Placer County say Japanese maples prefer morning sun or filtered light; sun-tolerant cultivars survive stronger sun but still prefer shelter from intense afternoon sun.
When is the best time to plant a Japanese maple?
UC Master Gardeners in Placer County say autumn is the best time to plant, with spring a close second, and summer the worst.

Sources

Freeze dates on this page are NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, for every station the ZIP codes in each zone cite. Zones are the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. The type table is a judgement, as labelled above. Growing advice is quoted from the extension publications below, each written for its own area.

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Published October 23, 2026

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