Acer palmatum Katsura and the wind(i think!!)

hi all
so i have an Acer palmatum Katsura in the front of my garden. it is in a corner where two 3/4ft walls meet. it has been growing very well, and this spring put on the most beautiful display of red/orange foliage before dulling down for the summer. Now my problem is it is just starting to reach the height where the highest branches are starting to get above the wall height. where it has, the leaves are blackened and mostly gone from what i presume is the wind. the rest is fine. only where the tree is above the height of the wall is there any damage.

i presume this is from the wind. I'm unsure whether it is just the cold winds we have been having or if it will not recover even during the summer. Is my only option to move it to somewhere more sheltered?

 

Hi mossym

I think your self-diagnosis is correct and your maple is suffering from wind/sun scorch. There is some good info here on caring for and treating your tree: http://www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/profiles0402/acer_scorch.asp

Hope this helps,
Matthew

 

cheers for that matthew..i might give it the summer to see how it gets on and consider moving it in the winter if it doesn't recover..

 

I am not familiar with Katsura, but the howl palmatum family, and in particular palmatum dissectum, are a nightmare to grow if there is any breeze at all. Stick them in the cul-de-sac between the garage and house, only hope!

 

You could always keep it pruned below the height of the wall, or add a couple of feet to the wall height
I grow many of these trees in less than perfect conditions, and it a very windy spot. They do very well as a rule, and I persevere
My own Katsura gets quite a lot of wind, and you can see here that it is quite a bit above the level of the fence