When planning for building a pond in your backyard, there are many things to consider. Situating the waterfalls in a location where you can view it from many angles will be important. Whether you will have pondless waterfalls or they will be part of a lovely garden pond setting, the planting around your new water feature will alter the big picture.

Framing the falls and softening the shoreline of the pond or stream you’ll be building
can mimic nature in the wilds or a more ornamental garden selection of plants. If there is one fascinating group of plants that seem to go perfectly with ponds and waterfalls, it is the Japanese Maple. Many homeowners have no idea just how many different types of Japanese Maples there really are, the number of different trees in this group must total 200 or more. Not all of them have beautiful forms; some are prized mainly for their fascinating leaves.

A waterfall of lacy red leaved branches is the Japanese Maple type many people imagine for the pond scene they will be building in their yard. There is something very magical about those widely weeping branches cascading over the water in ponds. Before you pick out the one to grace your waterfalls or pond, be aware that not all of these trees weep and stay red through the summer. Many Japanese Maples are red in spring and fall, but not during the summer heat.

They all require some shade during the middle of the day, preferring morning sun and protection from the hotter sun as they day grows longer. Some people assume that if the immature Japanese Maple tree they purchase has finely cut, incredibly lacy foliage means the tree will weep as it grows larger. This is not always the case at all. Weeping forms of Japanese Maples will most always be grafted onto their trunk. The taller the trunk, the taller the tree will be growing beside ponds and next to waterfalls.

Here are the best weeping forms available for you Southern California waterscape planting. Beginning with the most fabulous of all green leafed varieties:

• ‘Waterfall’ Japanese Maple … so stunning you won’t care that it is green through the summer.

• ‘Tamuke yama’ Japanese Maple … Rich, dark burgundy red that holds its color very well through summer. You’ll have brilliant red leaves for spring and fall.

• ‘Inabe Shidare’ Japanese Maple … Intensely deep purple red foliage that is very finely cut and shiny. Fiery red spring and fall leaves are very beautiful too.

• ‘Ever Red’ Japanese Maple … Dark garnet red in summer, bright red in spring and fall. A very popular weeping tree that will be perfect for cascading into ponds and out over your waterfalls.

• ‘Crimson Queen’ Japanese Maple … Not as dark of a summer red as some of the previous listed types, but well worth having as it retains the burgundy red leaf color well through the summer. This one is also red in spring and fall.

• ‘Red Dragon’ Japanese Maple … very dark red purple leaves and a beautiful shape too with bright red spring and fall color.

When short grafted (on a petite trunk in the nursery pot), none of the listed types of Japanese Maples will grow much taller than 5 feet. Their form will grow much wider than tall over the years, but expect them to grow slowly as this is their nature. Cascading waterfalls of water is the perfect partner for the beautiful threadlike leaves of these five Japanese Maple varieties. As long as you have some shade in the afternoon, you will be most delighted at the effect of these dwarf trees next to backyard ponds and streams.