Quote:
Originally posted by Amoroso
I live in Phoenix, Arizona in a 9/10 zone which is a hot and dry zone
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amoroso, seeing that you are just begining, i would like to suggest that you try an alternate material to work with. i live in las vegas so i know where you are coming from, it's a difficult climate to keep anything alive in, when you don't have much experience. so before you put a lot of time and energy into some maples maybe you should first try something thats already equipped to handle that heat
JUNIPERS! they are great to start with and love that sun. i have never tried shimpaku but i have great success with procumbens nana.
if you like deciduous stuff [i know i do] see if you can find a Vitex agnus-castus "chaste tree".
these trees are sold as landscape material in the desert. they have 5 lobed leaves [kindof like japanese maple, but without the serrated edge] that change color to red/orange in the fall and in the summer they bloom in beautiful blue-purple cones
i also have good luck with bouganvillea and ficus.
here's a picture of vitex leaves/blooms