Digging deeperPlant Library

Group/Class:  Jack Frost Collection

Brand:  Iseli

Description:

A stunning landscape choice bred for superior hardiness, this fine small accent tree features graceful, finely cut foliage that emerges red, maturing to green, then presenting yellow, orange, and red fall color; heat and sun tolerant as well

Ornamental Features

Ice Dragon™ Maple is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It has attractive green deciduous foliage which emerges cherry red in spring. The deeply cut ferny palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of yellow, orange and red in the fall. It produces red samaras from early to mid fall. The rough gray bark and red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Ice Dragon™ Maple is an open deciduous dwarf tree with a strong central leader and a more or less rounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which can make it a great accent feature on this basis alone.

This is a relatively low maintenance dwarf tree, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Ice Dragon™ Maple is ideal for use as a garden accent or patio feature, and is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Ice Dragon™ Maple will grow to be about 8 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 3 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.

This dwarf tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This particular variety is an interspecific hybrid.

Ice Dragon™ Maple is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.