Shaina japanese maple flanked by 2 coral bark jm: how much room aroud?

Question

This is a sequel of Coral bark Japanese Maple -where to plant it to avoid cold winter wind and hot summer sun damage

I have opted for the design shown in the below picture. I am decided to buy the second coral bark shown in the right side picture but I am not sure if I need one more shaina jm (I think that I don't and I should continue with shrubs toward the vegetable garden (see the thread pointed above for a garden layout)>

The other question is ..how much room do I need around each tree. See the below pictures and please tell me if the spacing is right.

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The reality looks like this: ​​

​I am adding here the layout of my backyard since I made some comments below

Update2: Adding more pictures showing two possible positions for the Shaina tree: 1- far back in the corner 2- a little bit closer to the viewer on the left side. For this one I also took a picture from the wider side of the garden. Sorry for the dark atmosphere, this is due to the rain that we are "enjoying" these days here in Toronto

Answer 1

Coral Bark Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku') Mature Height: 15-25 ft. Mature Width: 10-12 ft.

Shaina Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Shaina') Slowly reaches Mature Ht: 6-8 ft. Mature Width: 8-10 ft.

Simply recommended spacing is 12-15 feet.

Those are just the facts, and these are beautiful species, and each one of these trees in a landscape design are focal point trees. Placing them in a line as edging in an alternating pattern goes against a lot of design rules. Besides that they both have different grows rates. The Shaina Japanese Maple can take decades to reach maturity. I would put the Coral Bark in behind the Shaina maple and do a perspective view affect or crowd them together and prune the Coral Bark, so it runs tall and makes room for the Shaine under it.

IMHO, visually both these trees are "stars," and although they complement each other, I would not arrange them in an alternate fashion along a fence, i.e., red, green, red, green. Visually this will be too strong. They are not similar shaped forms; the Shaina tends to spread with a form that is squat. The Coral Bark is taller and can have an upward sweeping form. One of each is complementary, multiple of each will be visual unpleasant when evenly spaced.

I would keep one of each maybe place them in a grouping 10ft. apart so in 10 years the interact a little and might create a little nook in the corner of the yard, or if you have trees along the edge of the yard group these two trees left of center. To the left of your patio put a small pine, one with an open habit, with a rhododendron near it in view. A cluster of evergreen plants is pleasant in winter and summer. All just my opinion, and my hope is to dissuade you from over planting one species. You might want to plant these two trees and wait a couple of years to get used to your view and get a sense of what is missing. Or plant a clump of river birch in the view across the patio also.

Hope this helps.

Response Update: You can work it out, now that the Coral Bark is planted take the potted Shaina and start placing it in the foreground and moving it around in your view; move it left or right, front and backward over time. One morning you'll say "looks good," then at lunch from the table you'll say, "that looks good too!" You'll have your sweet spot, and remember to keep then 8 to 12 feet apart; they're right now the same proportions as mature trees. Just don't line up on the focal access, line between viewer and the Coral Bark. Most likely the Shaina will be 30 to 45 degrees off the focal axis left or right. And if it is not in that range that is fine, it's that the view relaxes you and seems balanced. I am assuming you have 2 vantage point, one from the patio is primary, and some other window. If you only have one, it's sweet spot is primary. I would add a 3rd shrub that is evergreen and round to this ensemble and use the Japanese diagram I have added. Or, use the view #6 in the second image as inspiration.