I love Japanese Maples, but they will not replace a large shade tree. You should decide what you want the tree for, a specimen tree or a shade tree. pat, we have a nursery here that specializes in Japanese maples and other trees. We bought a small waterfall maple from them. I also have a red-ish purple lace leaf. Both are about 3 feet high. They had a lot of damage from last years freeze, but have come back. I'd like to get more. I want a coral bark (a neighbor of mine has one that looks fantastic all winter long) and the one with the leaves that look like painted fingernails. I can't remember the name.

I have Amythist and some blue variety someone gave me. The Amythist (purple) one doesn't 'pop' up at all really, though it grows very fast, so you need to whack it back, but this isn't too hard. It will, however, root very easily where the vines contact the ground and I've had trimmings that I stepped upon take root. But again, not enough of this to be what I would consider an issue. The Blue has popped up in a few places. Now, it does attract caterpillars and they will eat a lot of the vine, especially in the winter, when the vine's growth doesn't keep pace, but I find them and the butterflies more charming than otherwise. YMMV. -E!

I'd suggest a cotoneaster. These are woody, mostly evergreen GC's (hardy to zone 5) that spread a large distance and tend to be highly recommended for slope stabilization. They tolerate a range of soil and light conditions, are very drought tolerant once established and require virtually no maintenance. They also attract wildlife - bees flock to them when they bloom and they produce berries for the birds. Cotoneaster dammeri is one of the most common GC forms of cotoneaster. If you can find it, the cultivar 'Eichholz' has one of the widest spreads - 6-8' for an individual plant. The closer the spacing, the faster the fill but this is recommended at 1-2 plants per square yard of land. You will need to weed a bit until the plants become estabished and start to spread. Mulching after planting will help to reduce this. FWIW, most GC's are not considered 'invasive' in the proper sense of the word, which implies a non-native plant that escapes cultivation to colonize natural areas and chokes out native habitat. What you are really looking for is an aggressive spreader and cotoneaster fits the bill.

Suggestions for the Atlanta Area (but might work in other parts of Georgia as well) ------------------------------------------------- Annuals: Balsam -- Impatiens capensis or I. pallida Blue daze -- Evolvulus glomeratus 'Blue Daze' Cardinal climber vine -- ?? Cleome Cosmos Dusty miller -- Artemisia stelleriana, Centaurea cineraria or Lychnis coronaria Fan flower -- Scaveola Globe Amaranth -- Gomphrena Lantana Moonflower -- Ipomoea alba Marigold -- Tagetes Purslane -- Portulaca Runner beans -- Phaseolus coccineus Salvia Sunflowers -- Helianthus Zinnia ---------------------------------------------- Annual and Biennial Herbs: Basil -- Ocimum Dill -- Anethum Parsley -- Petroselinum --------------------------------------------- Perennials: Ammi Anise hyssop -- Agastache foeniculum Balloon flower -- Platycodon Baths pinks -- Dianthus gratianopolitanus 'Bath's Pink' Becki Daisies -- Leucanthemum Blackeyed susan -- Rudbeckia Brazilian Verbena -- Verbena brasiliensis Calla lily -- Zantedeschia Creeping raspberry -- Rubus Daylily -- Hemerocallis Gallardia (Goblin) Gaura Goldenrod (Fireworks) -- Solidago Hardy hibiscus -- Hibiscus moscheutos Lamb's ear -- Stachys Maiden grass -- Adiantum capillus Mexican bush sage -- Salvia leucantha Mouse ear -- Cerastium Queen Anne's Lace -- Daucus carota Russian Sage -- Perovskia Rose -- Rosa Salvia (May Night, Blue Hill) -- Salvia x superba Shasta daisies (of all kinds) -- Leucanthemum Tickseed -- Coreopsis ------------------------------------------ Perennial Herbs: Creeping thyme -- Thymus praecox Curry plant -- Helichrysum italicum Horehound -- Ballota Oregano -- Origanum Rosemary -- Rosmarinus Sage -- Salvia Thyme -- Thymus Tricolor sage -- Salvia officinalis 'Tricolor' ------------------------------------------------ Shrubs: Burning bush -- Euonymus Butterfly bush -- Buddleja or Buddleia Caryopteris Cotoneaster dammeri Crepe myrtle -- Lagerstroemia Forsythia Indian hawthorne -- Rhaphiolepis indica Kleim's hardy gardenia -- Gardenia jasminoides 'Kleim's Hardy' a.k.a. Daisy Otto Luken laurel -- Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken' or "Otto Luken' Pee Gee Hydrangea -- Hydrangea paniculata grandiflora Rose -- Rosa Rose of sharon -- Hibiscus syriacus Witch hazel -- Loropetalum ----------------------------------------------- Trees: Crepe Myrtle -- Lagerstroemia Chaste Tree -- Vitex Seven Sons Flower -- Heptacodium miconioides Saucer magnolia -- Magnolia x soulangiana