'Orange Dream' Japanese maple + 'Autumn Jazz' viburnum

Another post in the Plant Partners series

‘Orange Dream’ Japanese Maple glows next to the glossy green Autumn Jazz® viburnum. It helps to have a dark green backdrop of the tall columnar ‘Emerald’ arborvitae to show it off.

You may think a small tree named ‘Orange Dream’ would sport fully orange leaves but this beautiful Japanese maple has yellow-orange leaves with red margins in the spring, changing to  yellow-green, with some leaves edged in orange, in the summer. The fall color of ‘Orange Dream’ Japanese maple (Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’) is yellow. It is still beautiful even though a little mis-named.

The orange-tinged leaf color is not the only outstanding aspect of ‘Orange Dream’ Japanese maple. Its short stature and slow growth make it a great fit for small areas. It only grows to 7’-8’ tall x 4’-5’ wide. It is hardy to USDA Zones 6– 9 and grows in full sun to part shade. Direct afternoon sun in midsummer may cause the leaves to scorch.

The leaves of  ‘Orange Dream’ Japanese Maple are tinged with red-orange and has distinctive red petioles.

A great partner for  the Japanese maple is the durable Autumn Jazz® arrowwood viburnum (Viburnum dentatum 'Ralph Senior'), a cultivar of a native plant. It can grow in a part shady site or a sunny spot and can be pruned to any size. ‘Autumn Jazz’ has attractive fall foliage with shades of red, orange, and yellow. Its dark green, pleated leaves feature a toothy edge and make a lovely contrast to the Japanese maple. Both are relatively deer resistant.

Autumn Jazz arrowwood is a magnet for pollinators with its lacy white blooms in late spring. Bees and butterflies flock to its flat-topped flowers and songbirds love the blue fruits that follow in fall. For best fruit set, plant another cultivar such as ‘Chicago Lustre’ for cross-pollination. 

Happy Gardening!