FALL ORDERS NOW BEING TAKEN

Get a jump on the good selection still available of this years truly incredible Jms, many rare and unavailable elsewhere MAKE YOUR LIST’S AND PLACE YOUR ORDERS TODAY .. We hold tree gratis as long as the ones you choose is not the last ones of a specified size of any particular culivar available. We and can ship  whenever you feel comfortable in us doing so.

Please Email us today for an updated availability list . Just go to the contact page using the link above

AND REMEMBER, WE WILL BE SHIPPING ALL SUMMER LONG. WE DO SO ON COOL WEEKS USING THE LATEST WEATHER TECHNOLOGY AND PACK OUR TREES TO WITHSTAND THE HEAT OF SUMMER.

THE TWO TO THREE DAY MAXIMUM SHIPPING TIME, USING INEXPENSIVE REGULAR FED EX, MAKES US THE OBVIOUS AND BEST CHOICE TO BUY JMS THROUGHOUT ALL OF SUMMER.

IF YOU ARE LOOKING FOR  SUPER COOL JMS IT’S NEVER TOO LATE AT DAVIDSANS

When To Plant

Is it already to late for this year ????

( “What’s you talkin’ about Willis?”)

BALDERDASH !!!!

There is only one definite time that it is not advisable to plant Jms and that is in mid winter and even then in the south that may be doable ..

Spring planting can be done anywhere .. it is IMHO to always buy trees that have leafed out and  have survived the winter from whence they came .  The only caveat is it not be too early for northern areas.

Summer is a descent time to plant jms .. yes they must be given a bit more attention and carefully introduced to the sun but I have done it with little or no problems. fFr many northern JM’sters it may even be preferable …Even if you are in the deep south you can simply pot them out put in shade , enjoy them and plant in fall.. I don’t ship during really hot periods but there are always breaks and with today weather maps and forecasting it is a breeze to make sure it travels safely during a more moderate period. Remember we are only two to three days from all our shipping areas not a week like the west coast nurseries .. In addition we pack in such a way they should be fine for 10 days in all but the most torrid weather.

BUT if you are a “northern worry wort” , not living in the south,  you too  can containerize all jms in pots all summer long even  in the hottest weather …Enjoy their beauty all summer and then bring in the garage for winter and plant them out next spring .. This sometimes is of great advantage, since you can move them around and see what spot looks best to you, as well as which spot they like  best  and be 100% sure you have the perfect sweet spot for them to be planted out the next spring. A win win situation. Even for non “worry warts” this meathod can often save having to move a tree or put up with a bad decision .. it allows you to make better choices.

Fall is also a great time to plant Jms but for northern growers it can be a bit more dicey .. ..As I have stated before you take a bit more chance fall planting a tree out you can enjoy for just w\a few weeks that may be exposed to a harsh winter .. For  northerners potting the tree for winter and planting early spring solves that problem and gives you an early jump on your spring buying brethren. For folks in moderate areas , micro zones or that live in the south planting JMs in the fall is safe easy and sometimes preferable.

If any of the Japanese Maple Mr, Ms or Mrs ” know it all’s ” and ” blow hard’s ” say otherwise, just remember the word BALDERDASH !!!

DAVIDSANS FAVORITE JAPANESE MAPLE

Folks always ask what me favorite Japnese Maple is and being in love with so many I them  I just “hem and haw” then just say there are too many to have one favorite . But when they leave and I am walking thru the yard I always look at one tree and marvel how cool it is how beautiful it is and differnt it is .. That tree is the Umegae pictured below.  pronounced “OO MEH GUY ” but said as one word obviously. This is not an American or European Jm but was discovered in Japan around 1882. Spring color is a deep red/ brown , summer it becomes bronze green and the fall a very nice orange with some scarlet mixed in …  the branches are green and lend great contrast… and the leaves smaller but have super cool sharp pointy serrated lobes but not deeply divided making this a distinct Amoenum leaf form. The leaves also have nice green veins that help extenuate the color making them stunning in every season .. The tree is very graceful with a very nice form and character.. it can be opened up with a little trimming  into more of a tree form than as shown .. In fact I have never trimmed this tree until today and that was just the bottom branches that needed it.. It was a three year old small tree when I bought it and has been in the ground going into it’s 5th season . So it is a slow grower .. I think, in anywhere but the most maple friendly places, it will stay below 8-1o ft. What is so special to me about this tree is it’s unusual season long interesting colors its graceful form and the fact that is is different than any other JM I have seen . A newbe with little knowledge could do the impossible and ID it .

My favorite Umegae story I love to tell is when I received it ..if I were a betting man ( which I am not) I would have bet the farm this tree wouldn’t make it through the winter and would burn up in summer .. It just looks so delicate and graceful .. If I were a betting man I would have no farm now and would in fact  be on the poor farn now , This tree is extremely hardy has taken cold down to -20 and goes all summer with little or no leaf burn …. The lesson is you can’t hardiness or sun-worthiness by just a lookin’..

Umegae is just a terrific tree hard to get but worth it .. It is truly Davidsans favorite tree.

SUPER DUPER HARDY ASIAN MAPLES FOR THE
“ALMOST”
GREAT WHITE NORTH

Pseudosieboldianum and Griseum

(Finally Asian/Japanese Maples for far northern locations)

Last year we carried, and still do Griseum which is zone 4-5 cold weather hardy Jm . It’s exfoliating bark is terrific year round but especially in the winter . It has pussy willow big catkin fuzzy buds in spring are super cool and and it has a phenomenally brilliant red leaf color in fall . This is a very nice tree that seems to be timed to leaf out about the same time as a sugar maple .and about as hardy . If sugar maples grow in your area you should be able to grow Griseum.

This year, after many years of intense search, I have been able to secure a small quantity of Pseudosieboldianum ssp. pseudosieboldianum. This is an Asian/Japanese Maple from Korea and unlike Griseum ( China) has a look of a Acer Palmatum /Japonicum with large Japanese maple type leaves. It is a definite zone 4 tree and some are grown in zone 3 and can be grown as far north as Minnesota, It is a sturdy very pretty tree with rather large leaves … it is a keeper with great fall color and has a surprisingly nice spring and summer look also.

I have these in larger sizes and some are so large they are for pick up only 8-12′ from top of soil level   really big large caliper ( attn Chicagoan s finally a safe JM to plant if you live in the far northern sububs).

These trees are simply not readily available and finding any small ones is like a treasure hunt and I was happy to get any… albeit larger ones.

As with all my product when they’re gone they’re gone… Please contact me right away if you are interested. Now almost everyone in the USA can plant an Asian maple.

I do have a few shippable ones that are multi-stemmed and nice size 4′+. A representative multi stemed Pseudosieboldianum is pictured below. They are in 10 gallon pots but I will sell them at 5-7 gallon prices . They are very cool IMHO .. The tree pictured is Fully leafed and now well rooted . Multi stemmed trees are finally finding their place … for many folks with limited space they allow you to put an upright tree that gets large in a space that ordiinarily wouldn’t work for them. Multi stemmed trees have a nice unique form /structure. And remember these can grow as far north as Minnesota and even an upright Psuedo will NOT get large there. A perfect Asian maple for those that want to plant one out and don’t want to do containers but live in an area that most JMs must ne kept in containers.

Multi stemed Pseudosieboldianum

Our 350 plus offered Jm’s
and companion trees are shipping NOW

All trees are in and are now being shipped .. Most of what is listed is available in at least some sizes I offer from 1 gallon to 15 gallon… but most in very limited quantities on a first come first serve basis. As I have stated below, just go to my contact page and let me know what you are interested in or that you have general interest, and I will send a spring listing including sizes available along with pricing and info on my spring promotion. All trees are limited in quantity and once any one cultivar is sold out it won’t be available this year .  As stated all sales are on a first come first serve basis . I can hold trees gratis for serious buyers and don’t ask for payment til they are ready for shipping you will be impressed and VERY HAPPY with the trees you buy, they look superbly boffo .I personally am very very excited about their quality. If you have interest be sure to contact me shortly.

Come visit Davidsans

( SHHHH our little secret)

SINCE I HAVE HAD SO MANY REQUESTS FOR VISIT DATES AND EMAILS HAVE PASSED EACH OTHER IN TRANSIT TO AND FROM ME, SO THAT OPEN DATES WERE NO LONGER AVAILABLE .. I ASK YOU TO CALL MY BIZ CELL .. 217-303-2641. THAT WAY I CAN LOOK AT THE CALENDAR AND MARK YOU DOWN AND YOUR VISIT DAY AND TIME IS SET . But emails are fine just give some altunative dates please. THANKS DAVID(SAN)

Davidsan’s Japanese Maples is a certified state inspected registered nursery. But that is not all it is. Davidsan’s is virtually unknown locally . If you were to call everyone in our area phone book of 250,000 you are unlikely to find more than a hundred that have ever heard of us … as compared to tens of thousands in other parts of Illinois as well as other states throughout the country who have connected with us through the internet. We do NOT advertise. We have NO sign. We have NO employees . We just don’t want to be “another” retail nursery. We want to have something special for those “other” JM nuts and addicts like ourselves . We certainly don’t want to lose money but we have no inclination to get rich from this either. If it ever became a major work project it will no longer be enjoyable. With that said if you would like to visit read on.

If you are within driving distance for a day trip or even a quick overnight trip I encourage you to consider stopping by. Not only will you be able to see many planted out trees in various stages of growth but also you can pick out exactly what you want. And if you are looking at purchasing  several larger trees the cost of your trip may be less than shipping. I have already had tons of folks asking to stop by.. I only ask the following:

1. Be sure to give me plenty of advance notice so we can pick a time together . As I have said on this site many times I am “a one man show” . I can only handle two visits a day ( one in morning and one in afternoon ) for individuals or small groups only. each “tour usually takes 1- 2 hours sometimes more. I don’t allow folks to just come and wander around like most other nurseries…. I give them the “tour” myself.

3. Make a list of types, color, size, and placement of the tree or trees that you are interested in and what price ranges pot size and overall you want to spend. This will avoid mass confusion and extremely difficult to impossible decision making.

4. If you have several trees you want and you are within a day round trip driving distance you may want to look into renting a U- Haul enclosed Trailer to tow .. ( I am sure other rental places have them also). You will need a car or truck with a “receiver hitch” ….most trucks will have them as do many cars suv’s and vans.  It is under the vehicle so you may bot know you have one . Then the rental of the trailer is CHEAP!!! and they are over 5′ tall inside so many larger jms will fit straight  or at a slight angle.

4×8  $14.95 pr day      with no mileage charge

5×8  $18.95 per day with no mileage charge

6×12  $29.95 pr day with no mileage charge

The best way is to rent of a morning and plan to travel back of an evening when it is cool  so they won’t fry in the trailer.. or come on a cloudy day’

This allows you to safely transport your trees and you will save BIG on shipping especially if you want to buy larger trees.

We can still fit many larger trees in cars, vans and suv’s where the seats lay down .. but it may be partially laying on your dash board  but as a bonus you may be able to use the car pool lane ;>) Most JM’s have fairly flexible branches with the exception of larger dissectums which will not easily or safely work as safely in these vehicles.

*******   Using pickups with open beds is not recommended unless you want all your trees to have dissected leaves ;>) If you have a topper or snap cover it can work with the trees lieing down .. but since most newer trucks are “suit”  truck with 4 doors and a very small bed sometimes only a mere 4′ .(as opposed to “real” work trucks with 2 doors and an 8 ft bed) even at an angle many larger jms will be hard to fit.

5. You do not have to buy anything obviously, it is not required for a visit. But I ask that everyone considering a visit be honest and if you are just looking ( lookie Lu’s), picking my brain or otherwise have other or ulterior reasons for coming, with never a thought of ever doing business with me now or in the future, please do me a BIG favor and use my Web site Email me or call me .. My advice is always free and unlimited, and I am always available to ask a question of offer advice .I like talking to folks and don’t care where they buy from. But my time is not unlimited … and it is a burden, as a one person operation, to waste a bunch of time with folks, on tours of my facility, that really never have any intention of ever doing business with me . Please if the above is you, use the above specified other free services I am just a quick email or phone call away.

I live in the area but with my schedule I can’t make it to Davidsans ….what are my options???

( Shipping and Delivery Options)

Davidsans New Delivery Service is here

Obviously shipping is an option we ship everywhere but the west coast. Shipping multiple smaller trees or a mixture of smaller and larger trees in one box is very cost effective, your price pr tree to ship is greatly reduced . But for those with large orders (over $650) we can deliver them if you live within 3 – 3 1/2 hours away ( we are in Springfield Illinois). Remember if you live farther we can meet anywhere within that range from here… our trip would be the same and you will save hours of driving and get your trees potted  without the shipping stress which is minimal but nothing beets getting them direct.   There is a charge for this but it generally is much less than shipping and crating. And you get your trees in pots not semi bare root (as we ship them semi bare root with allot of dirt left on them). Some trees may be too big but most we can deliver, and in the near future we will have a large trailer for delivering virtually any size Jms .. delivery charges are available on request .. For smaller orders that don’t equal the above amount or more please don’t ask…Sorry we can’t do it… It just isn’t cost effective for us and even though we enjoy occasionally “getting out of Dodge”  gas and mileage and equipment cost and long drives are not my idea of a vacation unless it is worth it in sales… as business trip. But we are more than happy to ship it to you. Please map quest it before asking  and make sure your order is over $650. Again, if it is a small order ( less than above) it is still VERY important to us. It is just not cost effective to deliver compared to shipping, probably for both of us. Email or call for further details.

UPDATE

Since offering this service we have been happy with the results.. It has been a very good way to get larger order to folks easily with minimal cost . We have delivered to an area and we have met folks at areas .. saving us packing and them a long drive.

In the future we may offer a delivery to an area like Chicago,  Indianapolis,  St. Louis etc for  folks to group their orders to make it worth while and share the driving cost that we charge making it virtually free shipping. The logistics of this has not been  worked out and small orders will still likely not be taken. Delivery would have to be in a centralized public area. If we do this it will be not be on a regular basis but likely one time only during spring or fall to a particular area.

A few trees of Special interest
MUST HAVE TREES

Higasayama

I have some trees now in that are phenomenal..I have a quantity of 5 GAL Higasayama which is a terrific super hardy sun taking variegate. I didn’t know whether I was getting them so until now they were not on my avail list .. NOW THEY ARE I have them in 5 gallon only and they are shippable .. very large and nice .. this is I think one of the few trees that remains a constant fav of mine they are super boffo.. It is by far the best upright variegate IMHO

AUREUM

I have also have a good quantity of ten gallon Aureum.. Now I know I always warn folks these trees are touchy but I have found this to be less true with larger established trees. They will need allot of shade but their color is unmatched… I will not sell small one period!! It is a waist of your $$ but have found larger ones generally do fine. These are absolutely stunning trees and are shippable

SUPER LARGE DISSECTUMS

If you are in driving distance I have large niumer of super cool 4-5′ ht and 4 ‘ wide or more Dissectums. These are huge full super healthy boffo trees .. Just to name a few . Red Dragon Inaba shidare, Tamukeyama , Garnet, Emerald lace, Green Filigree and Seiryu

SHISHIGASHIRA

I think the Shishigashira also known as the female lions mane is a truly special tree . Everyone should own one or more . .. its what makes JMs supremely special ….and if you decide own one you are thinking like a true jm’ster not a person who just wants a pretty typical JM in their yard..

Many Jms are hard to id since many are similar .. NO ONE can mistake a Shishigashira. I have some super super nice larger ones available .. most are shippable also though not cheaply …these are specimen trees but at non specimen prices .. . I just think this tree is truly special and always take a peek at them daily ..

I usually don’t recommend buying more than one of any single cultivar of Japanese maple .since there are so many super cool ones and why tie up space duplicating cultivars. But shishigashira is an exception.. it is so different, Having them interspersed in mixed plantings is super cool!!

Very large 7, 10 and 15 gal uprights

Davidsans has a very nice large selection of what most would call specimen trees priced way below the usual fancy ass nursery specimen prices. Many of these are shippable albiet not cheaply . Others are for pick up only ..  Email or call for a list.

Tamukeyama Espalier

A hardy Red Dissectum in a super cool unique form

Want some thing super cool .. these are 15 gallon 4 ‘ wide multi stemmed (3 stemmed) Tamukeyama that have been trained on lattice .. You can leave them on it or take off and make your own or put on a fence , This is a very cool way to take a VERY large dissectun and utilize a pace you ordinarily would be able to use for any JM let alone a large dissectum.. These are NOT shippable but since they are a hardy cultivar any one in the  midwest can safely grow them and they can be picked up at Davidsans .. So if you are driving distance and up for a day trip and want something no one else within hundreds, perhaps thousands of miles, will have .. this is your tree.  Here are some jpegs of them

COMING SOON

***A video tour of Davidsans posted right here in cyber space. Visit us without leaving your computer.

*** Basic JM “How To” care and cultivation videos by Davidsan posted on this site.

( Both will also be available at YouTube)

*** Davidsans will have a Face Book Page and possibly Twitter with drawings and specials just for those places..

PLEASE STAY TUNED

NEWS FLASH !!!!! NEWS FLASH !!!!!

From Monkey Puzzle Central at Davidsans Japanese Maples

My spring assortment of Monkey puzzles in many sizes will be arriving in April. I will be receiving this year, in addition to the larger sizes I had previously, a limited number of smaller 1 gallon trees that will be priced much less so this year they are within just about everyone’s budget. I won’t be setting the price on these smaller trees til spring, but they will likely be in the 30-45$ range… But be advised you will be getting a much smaller tree with just a few branches (see below for photo) . But these 1 gallon small trees can be shipped inexpensively making the whole transaction much more likely to please those on a tight budget. This is especially meant for those who want one of these cool trees and who have plenty of time to watch them grow into a larger tree but limited funds to buy one from the get go.

Prices for my larger are $79-$225 depending on size…. and shipping is pricy for the largest ones whuich can weigh weigh 45-50 lbs or more each e.An example of shipping and packing a $99… 27″ tree from Davidsans to NYC was around $57, a $79 20″ tree to Texas was about $52 ….and we don’t mark up shipping .. we do charge to pack since the root ball needs to be inner crated with 1×2’s ,as do all our trees to insure safe shipment . All my MP trees are shippable but only in the $79-$100 range can be done without greater expense ( along with any future 1 gallons). These medium sized trees average 20-28″ tall measured from top of a 12-16″ VERY large root ball which is Ground level when planted… so don’t be fooled by their small tape measure height .. these are NOT small trees. Remember these grow very slowly so even the 20″ tree is OLD many years and is NOT a twig … A one gallon tree is 2-3 years old. Even a 20″ size 79$ tree is big enough to make a real statement in your yard. They all have large caliper and many wavy branches and often much wider than tall .. larger 4′ trees are best pick up only but if you are willing to pay all the oversize charges to get a truly boffo MP they can be shipped. I have been experimenting with shipping the MP’s re- potted with my soil mix so that the weight greatly decreased. If this continues to work, shipping this year “may” be less for all sizes . I should have a better handle on shipping expenses shortly.

If you are interested please let me know soon all my monkeys are VERY popular and should be considered “endangered species” meaning when they are sold I won’t have more til next year. Be sure to get your orders in soon!!

By the way a little bit of Trivia on Monkey Puzzles

If you watch the original “The Ghost and Mrs Muir” .. The ghost, a sea farin’ captain, planted one from seed in the front yard of his cottage by the seamany years before the current story… it was now huge.. Unfortunately before Mrs muir became acquainted with him and liked him…she had found the tree so odd and “hideous” she had it cut down. He was furious about it and really busted her chops over it ( I would have too)… there were very slight glimpses of the large tree in the beginning of the 1957 “non classic” For me, hearing it was cut down, was the WORST part of the movie .

If you are looking for truly special Japanese Maple(s) at a reasonable price you have arrived at the right place.

Davidsans Japanese Maples considers itself the home for “extreeme” and ” truly special ” Japanese Maples. We specialize in hardy / cold hardy trees for the Midwest and other northern areas as well as those cultivars that can take sun for southern areas. We make it our mission to search out, find and offer one of the webs largest selection of rare, hard to find Japanese maple cultivars.

We pride ourselves as having one of the webs best selection of truly unusual impossible to find, just darn right cool dwarf Japanese Maples.

Dwarf JM’s are perfect for smaller yards, tight spaces, or that nook needing some color. They also makle excellant container cutlture trees for those folks , that for whatever reason , would rather not , or can’t plant their Japanese Maples out in their yards.

Davidsans also is one of the very few places willing and able to ship larger Japanese Maples. Most seller really don’t want the hassle of shipping larger specimens and refuse to do so. As a collector I found it very frustrating and was forced to buy mostly very small trees…even though i was willing to pay the obvious extra cost of shipping larger ones. From this experience I made it a point to offer larger trees for shipment I also found being located in the middle of the country gave me a great opportunity to ship them in to you within 2-3 days and the cost was allot less than the one or two West Coast nurseries that do offer larger trees. Davidsans is the place to get larger Japanese Maples both reasonably priced and shipped to your door in a very expedient manner.

BONSAI

One area that dwarfs do especially well, is as Bonsai . Davidsans has a huge selection dwarf JM cultivars ( many virtually impossible to find elsewhere) that are perfect for Bonsai. These, generally small leaf cultivars, include many older very rare Japanese varieties that have been used as bonsai for centuries in their asian homeland.

Davidsans does not carry “quasi”/”bogus” cultivars known as seedlings AKA seed grown plants that are improperly and deceivingly named after the mother tree (such as improperly naming generic JM’s, for example, “Kashima” or “Kiyo hime” when they are simply generic seed grown trees). These are not true cultivars although many bonsai folks buy them as such, since they are not grafted and therefore have no graft mark. Many bonsai folks feel graft marks make then trunk look less perfect. Seedlings, as stated many times on this site, and by many others, are not guaranteed to even look like their mother. But at any rate can not be marketed as such or ethically named as such.If you are buying a seedling, let say, named “Kashima” on the web or elsewhere you are being scammed .

There is nothing wrong with using seedlings for bonsai whatever they are called. But to pay an high price for something that is not what you are getting is not wise IMHO. I tell folks if you can buy a seedling for a bonsai these should be very inexpensive unless already started as Bonsai.If you are paying cultivar prices for seedling fake named cultivars you are getting riped off.

A well done low grafted JM can give a person a perfectly beautiful Bonsai. Just as most field grown JMs cannot be ID’d as grafted trees in several years because the mark is basically no longer visible due to the natural growth of the tree trunk and it’s bark . The same holds true for bonsai. The graft mark, if low and done well, becomes virtually to totally invisible in short time. Even though bonsai growth is often slow , the fastest part to grow is the trunk since leaves branches and roots are constantly trimmed.

DAVIDSANS DOES OFFER UN-GRAFTED BASIC A.p. GREEN AND BASIC A.p. RED ATROPUPUREUM “SEEDLINGS”. THESE JM’s ARE SEED GROWN AND ARE SUITABLE FOR BONSAI AT EXTREEMLY REASONABLE PRICES..AS WITH ALL SEED GROWN TREES THEY WILL VARY IS COLOR, LEAF TYPE, GROWTH RATE AND PATTERN. BUT IF YOU DON’T WANT A GRAFTED JM FOR BONSAI THESE ARE YOUR ONLY READILY AVAILABLE AND COST EFFICIENT CHOICE.

If you have interest in Bonsai , please visit my section on Bonsai at the bottom my “Care and Cultivation section” on this web site. This section will explain why we feel certain expertly done and very low grafted dwarf Davidsan cultivars are best for bonsai while others may not be. You are guaranteed to own a named cultivar bonsai that you can ethically call as such for decades to come

At Davidsans we carry only those cultivars that you are not likely to find elsewhere.

What constitutes value when you buy a Japanese maple ??

And why should I buy from Davidsans ??

At Davidsans i sell my trees at a price that is under what I have bought in previous years as a collector. In fact the trees i carry are larger than any I have ever bought as a collector and for allot less dinero. That means if you buy from me you get your monies worth. Can you find cheaper trees… yes..and if you are simply looking for twigs and cheap cheap cheap cheap you will likely be happier looking elsewhere. But if you want a healthy larger fuller tree that is a bargain for it’s size… you have landed on the right web site What you also get at Davidsans which you will not at other web based nurseries is the personal help you need to make an informed decision on the best tree for your needs and location . Remember I am a one man show and have NO employees so what I sell is never less than it should be and what you get is a quality tree at a very god price.

In addition if you are more experienced collector you will find one of the largest selections on the web again at really good prices for what you receive. You will also find many VERY rare cultivars that you may have been looking for for years and many new cultivars of striking beauty that you will want. As I always tell folks “If it ain’t worth it I won’t sell it“.

This next season I will be offering more sizes of trees at lower prices to fit any budget. Any tree I move up a pot size this fall will be priced at a lower price than that next pot size up is … at “tweener” price. So if you are on a strict budget ask for “UP-POTTED JMS”… they will be very well priced.

NOW Davidsans has much lower shipping rates thanks to ups . As many folks don’t know most nurseries get shipping discounts but DON’T pass them along . At Davidsans we are NOT into making money off shipping, so we have decided to pass the savings along. This should make shipping our larger trees much more reasonable both as single trees or as multiple trees in a box. Our trees unlike most other internet twigs or stick trees are so big this has been a problem in the past because once they get oversize it becomes problematic. This year you should see a definite improvement in ship costs.

JM photographs found on this web site

Photographing Japanese Maples

We at Davidsans get allot of questions about Japanese Maple Photographs .One thing everyone should understand is that color and leaf form really depend on where you live and where you place it ( amount of sun etc) and age of plant . Yearly weather patterns, and yearly soil moisture can also drastically effect color, leaf shape, plant height and many so called absolutes of JM’s . A Jm will basically look like a specific named cultivar as described and photographed but you can have variations depending on the above… some may be minor some pretty dramatic. And a young tree will usually never have the trees true characteristics for several years even in Jm perfect areas. This is especially true with variegated varieties or those with odd coloration or leaf forms. If you have grown Jm’s for any amount of time you will already know this to be true.

So here are some Q&A concerning this subject.

Q: When is the best time to ph0tograph JMs and when do you try to do so for this web site

A: Simply put, in the mid to late spring

.

The leaves will always look there best in spring . They will be free of pest marks sun damage . Yes in fall they can be spectacular, but color varies so much from year to year as all Acers do, And you will have a hard time finding perfect leaves that don’t need extensive photoshopping..

The spring coloration is usually pretty much the same for everyone regardless of local weather patterns… and even seems to be less effected by soil type etc. Therefore what you see on a particular web site, if photos are taken in spring, will be pretty much what you will get in spring.

The one caveat it is best not to take photos very early in spring if you plan to show what the leaves and tree actually looks like. If you take the fabulous looking young just “bud broke” leaves you are NOT giving a real representative look of what the tree actually looks like for other than a few days. Of course if you are just taking them as art why not. The only exception to this is those few JMs that constantly shoot out new bunches of leaves through most of the season and are known for that.

Q: Why can’t you have full tree photos on your site

A: Simply put … most look dopey.

Most Jms are planted around allot of other companion trees bushes etc and it is very hard to get a true idea of what the individual JM looks like.

.Even ones that are stand alone specimen trees tend to be understated in photographs but may look boffo in your yard. There are a few larger specimens of a size that you can actually get a feel for but the are exclusively large dissectums with a thick bushy look.

For most of us who get into Jm’s we plant them not for others BUT FOR OURSELVES. Of couse we want to show them off and for them to look great in our yards or patios. But you can buy any generic jm dissectum or upright and achieve that . For us “connoisseurs it’s “the look” . And that look is generally from near firstly and afar secondly . Thus the closer photos of trees and branches along with a description of form and approximate size works great.

Q. Why can’t you have photos of the trees showing all seasons

A. Simply put: That would be nice but are you nuts

As I have already said there is so much variation from area weather age and from year to year it would be a real wast of time unless we wanted to make a book of trees without names.

Taking a picture of just one tree in one season takes approximately 1 hour. The process starts by taking a bunch of different shot at different angles, in different light, and backgrounds to be able to show the tree best and most accurately. then begins the arduous tasks of downloading the photos, picking out the best one, cropping sizing straightening, and uploading two different sizes to our web site.

If we were to do that to over 350 cultivars in three seasons and some four ( winter for Griseum and color and rough bark cultivars and some conifers).Well, we would be sure to own stock in the nearest psychiatric facility where we would end up in short order .

I hope this answers a few questions on photography particularly in respect to this web site and use of photos for informational and help in choosing that special cultivar.

Coming soon to a Davidsans near you!!!

Our spring offerings of really rare JM’s

Yes we have the new Shirazz in several sizes

at down to earth prices!!

OVER ONE HUNDRED NEW CULTIVARS (including Shirazz) ARE BEING ADDED TO OUR STABLE OF SUPER COOL JM CULTIVARS. THESE INCLUDE BOTH NEW AND RARE CULTIVARS. IN ADDITION WE ARE ALSO ADDING AN ASSORTMENT OF DWARF CONIFERS!!

Keep your eyes open on this site. We are about a month away from listing our spring JM cultivar offerings and companion trees. I have searched far and wide for a new and old rare cultivars …and boy have I found them I guarantee you will be blown away by my rare new and old selections at the same or similar prices as last year. Be advised many of these really cool JM’s are in limited quantities… Most of these will be for late spring ( mid April) But I will have a ton of stuff available for my southern friends who want early shipment this year . NO repeat of last years debacle of waiting. I will be able to ship when YOU want it as long as its not severely cold here. If any of you want an early list , please email me or fill out the contact page on this site requesting such. I will be sending as mailing with this list at a more normal time in late Jan or feb. , but with many of the newer cultivars in small quantities you may want the list early. Just let me know

MORE TREE / LESS MONEY

Also in addition to of my increased cultivar selection I will have a greater selection of trees at lower price points for those on budgets . My prices are based mostly on tree size along with my costs . And in the past my trees have been uniformly large . You always get MORE than what you pay for at Davidsans … but now the range has been lowered for those that can live with a slightly “smaller” tree. You are still getting a much bigger tree than you will at other places but smaller than my usual and priced as such. More tree /less money.

Mailing List

If you want to be on my mailing list just go to the contact page and fill out and state “put on mailing list “. Don’t worry you will not be spammed!!! I will do, at most, one or two e-mailings pr year and no snail mailings …(and NO i do not have a catalogue .. this is the 21st century ya know ;>)..) I am just too busy and WAY TOO LAZY to do more . You will get the most up to date list of new cultivars and priority ordering for all my products and occasional sale items.

” The world of undiscovered Japanese Maples”

According to Davidsan

I have decided to start this new section on this home page. Every few weeks I will showing you a special Japanese/Asian maple that deserves the attention of all Japanese maple lovers. This is my third installment. For all previous installments please go to my Blog section and from there to the specific Blog entitled “Davidsans World Of Undiscovered Maples” containing those archived installments. I guarantee that you will find all of these fascinating and informative .

Issue #4

Sekka yatsubusa

Sekka yasubusa is in three words …unique,beautiful,and sturdy . The last word is paticularly appropos since it is a tight upright cultivar that is in no way wimpy even when young or in a pot as some other cultivars. There are no unseemly wayward tall growing branches in need of constant trimming. Rather shorter horizontal heavily branched habit. It’s very small shinny leafs form in groups towards the end of branches giving it a pagoda style look although not open as some other such trees. It tends to have a thicker look. Spring color is a very delicate yellow greeen giving way to shiny green in summer and it has a very nice yellow /orange fall color that lasts much longer than most other JM’s. (some say up to 6 weeks)..holding it’s leaves late into fall.It is known for good sun resistance. My Sekka, in it’s current home , potted, in a mostly sunny area, has shown no burn whatsover
One unusual characteristic is flattened ends of some of its new growth giving it an unusaul look at close inspection. Although this tree looks like a dwarf it can get fairly large in perfect growing areas but I think around here 6 – 10′ max and likely on the shorter end. It also seems to be a very fast grower unlike most other smaller leaf cultivars that seem to take forever to develop into specimens .I would classify it a semi dwarf in the upper Midwest maybe even a dwarf . It should be perfect for smaller spots since it stays compact . It also has “bonsai” written all over it and should be a great bonsai JM.

Below are some VERY late fall ( Nov. 11) jpegs but it is much more yellow for most of the fall period. This particular tree is very young and these shots do not show it’s typical pagoda type habit, but does give you some idea of it’s striking beauty even in a near winter fall period.

Sekka yatsubusa

Davidsans Japanese Maples is located in Springfield, Illinois in what is known as the “deep Midwest corn country”. We are a dependable, customer oriented company now open to the public for limited sales of the beautiful amazing varieties of these “momiji” – the Japanese Maple Tree. We offer over 225 DIFFERENT cultivars of these beautiful trees. The photographs you see here are of our own trees in our own gardens. Please browse the pages here and take advantage of the things we have learned about how special Japanese Maples truly are.

We have also added a few companion trees some of which are of Far Eastern heritage ( not necessarily from Japan), and others that just look the part and will work well in Japanese gardens and settings.You can view these in the “Other Species From Japan” section. These are truly rare items you won’t likely find elsewhere. We hope to add to this “rare companion section” on an on-going basis so check back frequently.

We would also like to remind folks that we specialize in Japanese maples for colder areas but with most cultivars there is a limit of just how much cold they can take if planted out in the ground . Be advised that no one should be without a beautiful Japanese maple even those living in the far north . These trees without exception do great in containers. Containers give flexibility in placement and are easy to care for . If you are like I was, this may be a hard hurdle to leap over, since most of us love planting things in the ground . But once you start growing Japanese maples in containers you will find it to be in many ways more fun and only a bit more work. Please don’t limit yourself by excluding such a cool and valuable tree just because you live in the far north outside their in the ground planting range. Planting a container Japanese maples no matter where you live will be a great addition to your yard giving you a true specimen tree and likely set you apart from others who have no idea they can grow these special trees in your area. I gurantee once you try it you will be hooked like I am.

We are open by appointment only so please Email or call us directly to set up a day and time to visit . You may come to pick out and purchase your own Japanese Maple from our large selection, or just to view trees, get ideas for your own yard and make possible purchase lists. For those not able to visit please feel free to Email or call us concerning shipment of cultivars, their cost, or with any other questions ( be sure to include you city and state for zone and shipping purposes). All Emails will be answered within 24 hours whenever possible.

If you would rather call for a more personal contact do so any day or the week before 10 pm central time ( see # below). If we are not able to take the call please leave your name , phone #, area you are from ,and a detailed message .

Unlike most other web etailers , we feel contacting our customers that have contacted us is priority #!. Their is nothing that upsets me more than when I contact some business through email and not hearing back for days, weeks,months or ever. THEREFORE, WE GUARANTEE WE WILL CONTACT YOU WITHIN 24 HOURS OF YOUR EMAIL QUERRY.

If you not hear back from Davidsans within 24 hrs from an email sent from the contact section of this site, please call. No email sytem is 100% perfect. We have added a retyping of email line since a few folks that contacted us, i was not able to re-contact ( mailer daimon) from mis-spelled email addresses…very frustrating .

But as i said email glitches are not uncommon. I have had a few folks call who used the contact page and i got butkus.. so please call if you don’t hear back . I am an internet junkie and i check my queries several times a day so it is likely I will contact you within hours . As I stated above I think answering emails is job #1 for any etailer.

David “Davidsan” Myers and Gale Myers (Owners)