Everything You Need to Know About Bloodgood Japanese Maple Trees

Bloodgood Japanese maple trees are just as easy to care for as they are beautiful. These eye-catching specimen trees stay compact, with graceful branches and richly colored foliage.

This type of tree is ideal for small yards and stands out in every season, unfurling purple leaves in spring, turning burgundy through summer, and then blazing crimson in fall. Even in winter, their silvery bark adds visual appeal. Here’s what to know about growing and enjoying Bloodgood Japanese maples.

Bloodgood Japanese Maple Trees At a Glance

Year-round visual interest
Compact size
Low-maintenance
Foliage color fades in full sun
Can be pruned into bonsai trees
Disease-resistant

Pro Tip

This Old House landscape expert Jenn is a passionate advocate for Japanese maples: “Japanese maples are some of the most beautiful and imposing trees in a landscape. I absolutely love them, and I have six at my own house.”

Appearance

Bloodgood Japanese maple trees have vibrant foliage throughout most of the year. They grow in a rounded, upright shape, with thin branches sprouting from either a single trunk or multiple sub-trunks. The trees reach a maximum height of 15–25 feet, with a spread of 15–20 feet.

Pro Tip

Jenn, a This Old House landscape expert who has six Japanese maples at her own home, describes the Bloodgood as “your classic… Japanese maple” that “has that brilliant red color. You see it in a lot of landscapes around here.”

Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree Specifications

Appearance	Rounded, upright shape with one trunk or multiple. Leaves change color from purple to burgundy to crimson before dropping in winter to reveal silvery bark
Height	15–25 feet tall
Hardiness Zones	Zones 5–8
Type of tree	Deciduous
Sunlight requirements	Partial shade to full sun
Soil composition	Highly adaptable but prefers well-drained, moist, slightly acidic soil

Pro Tip

Japanese maples grow in zones 5 to 8, and as This Old House’s Jenn Nawada explains, there are different varieties to fit different spaces—uprights, some that grow more outward and dwarf, and ones that cascade down. When choosing a Bloodgood for your landscape, she recommends selecting “a Japanese maple that fits your space.” Even a single pruning cut can make a difference: “Just at an angle, give it a little, and one clip can improve the overall shape.”

Hardiness Zones

U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Hardiness Zones indicate the regions where plants can grow based on minimum winter temperatures. Bloodgood Japanese maple trees grow in Zones 5–8 across most of the country except for the extremely hot and cold regions.

Pro Tip

Before setting your tree in the hole, check that the trunk’s base flare is visible. If it’s buried beneath soil or wrapping, pull away the material to expose it. As demonstrated in This Old House Magazine, you should dig the hole slightly shallower than the depth of the root ball, measured from where the trunk’s base flares out, so the flare sits just above grade. Use a string stretched across the hole and measure down to confirm the correct depth.

Planting Bloodgood Japanese Maple Trees

Spring and fall are ideal times to plant Bloodgood Japanese maple trees. We recommend taking these steps:

Choose a site that receives partial shade to full sun. Partial shade is preferable since it will result in richer foliage colors.
Clear away any weeds, turfgrass, and debris.
Dig a hole three times the width of the root ball and roughly the same depth. Your Bloodgood Japanese maple should be about 1 inch above the level of the surrounding soil.
Gently tease the roots apart with your hand or a small spade, then place the root ball in the center of the hole.
Backfill the hole, then water heavily.
Finish by adding a 2–3 inch layer of natural mulch, like bark or wood chips, around the tree in a 3-foot radius. Be careful not to let the mulch touch the tree’s trunk.

Pro Tip

When planting on a slope or in poor, rocky soil, go bigger with your hole. As This Old House landscape contractor Tim advises, in tough soil conditions you should dig a hole four times bigger than the pot—not just three—and amend with compost and topsoil. “It’s going to allow us to add more new material to this larger hole we’re digging and that new material is going to hold moisture and help the tree grow faster,” he explains.

Growing Conditions

Bloodgood Japanese maple trees are low-maintenance, adaptable to a wide variety of soil types, and able to grow in a range of light conditions.

Sun and Shade: Bloodgood Japanese maple trees prefer to grow in partial shade, or about four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day. They can also grow in full sun, which is six hours or more. However, shadier planting sites will lead to more robust and vivid foliage colors.
Soil: Bloodgood Japanese maple trees are adaptable to a wide range of soils, including clay, loam, sand, and more. They thrive in well-draining, moist, and slightly acidic soil. Because they prefer moist soil, it’s recommended to add a 2–3 inch layer of organic mulch over the soil once per summer for moisture retention.
Watering: For the first few weeks after planting, you should water your Bloodgood Japanese maple tree every two to three days. After that, you can water just once a week or whenever the top 1–2 inches feel dry.
Fertilizing: You can fertilize your Bloodgood Japanese maple tree in early spring before the new growth. Use a slow-release, well-balanced organic fertilizer with an NPK value of 10-10-10.
Pruning: Bloodgood Japanese maple trees do not require regular pruning, but they do respond well to pruning if you decide to do so. If you see any dead, dying, or damaged branches, prune them in the winter when your tree is dormant.

Pro Tip

After planting, drive two wooden stakes into the ground on either side of the tree and attach flexible plastic chain loosely around the trunk—tight enough to keep the tree steady in winter winds or under snow load, but with plenty of room so you don’t girdle the bark. As shown on Ask This Old House, set the ties no higher than two-thirds of the way up the tree, and plan to remove the stakes after one year.

FAQs About Bloodgood Japanese Maple Trees

How much sun do they need?

Bloodgood Japanese maple trees flourish in partial shade or about four hours of direct, unfiltered sunlight per day. Full sun leads to paler, less vibrant foliage hues.