The size of your tree will vary depending on the variety, as some maples grow more quickly than others. All of our trees are carefully cultivated in 3-liter containers, grafted in July, and nurtured for 14–15 months before being made available on our webshop.

The tree you receive will typically range in height from 20 to 60 cm, depending on the growth rate of the selected cultivar. In some cases, plants may be pruned during the growing season to promote healthy growth, improve their shape, or collect scion wood, particularly for rare varieties.

Please note that trees purchased in fall or winter are usually smaller than those bought in spring or summer, as the latter benefit from an additional growing season.

Please refer to our shipping policy for all shipping-related information.

We want to stress, for your convenience, that The Maple Nursery cannot guarantee delivery or safety of your plants when you opt for a 'safe place delivery'. If you are absent, we suggest having your package delivered to a neighbor or Parcel Shop.

Your trees are shipped with the utmost care to ensure they arrive in excellent condition. We secure a bag around the pot to retain moisture and soil, use bamboo sticks to keep the pots stable, and add paper for extra protection during transit.

Upon arrival, simply remove the trees from the packaging, take off the bags and bamboo sticks, water them well, and allow your trees to acclimate to their new environment.

Your trees will arrive in a plastic pot, where they can remain for at least one more growing season. While trees can be planted year-round, we recommend keeping them in their pots initially to help them recover from transport and to give you time to choose the best planting location.

When watering trees in their pots, be sure to check that the water is properly absorbed. Lift the pot—water thoroughly when it feels light, and stop once it feels heavy. Always double-check that the potting soil has taken up the water, as it can sometimes run down the sides without reaching the roots.

For trees received between September and March, fertilize in April with a light dose of slow-release granular fertilizer, such as a 5–6 month formula containing up to 15% nitrogen (e.g., 15-9-12). Avoid fertilizing trees received in April, May, June, July, or August, as these will already have been fertilized at the nursery. If you’re unsure about fertilizing, feel free to contact us—over-fertilizing can harm or even kill your tree.

At The Maple Nursery, our mission is to make rare and beautiful Japanese maple cultivars accessible to a wide audience at fair and transparent prices.

As a Belgian nursery, we benefit from one of the lowest VAT rates on plants in the European Union—just 6%. For example, on a €100 (VAT included) order shipped within Belgium, €5.66 goes to the Belgian tax authorities. However, when we ship to other EU countries, we are required by law to charge and remit the local VAT rate of the destination country. In countries like France, where the VAT on plants is 10%, we must pay €9.09 to the French tax authorities for the same €100 order—meaning we absorb a small difference to keep pricing as consistent as possible for our customers across Europe.

We’re happy to take that small loss in most cases to ensure a smooth and fair experience for everyone. That said, a few countries apply significantly higher VAT rates on plants—well above the EU average. These include: 27% in Hungary, 25.5% in Finland, 25% in Denmark and Sweden, 23% in Slovakia, 22% in Estonia, 21% in Latvia and Lithuania, and 20% in Bulgaria.

To continue offering our trees to customers in these countries, we’ve had to introduce a modest price adjustment: 15% increase for Hungary, Finland, Denmark, Sweden, and Slovakia, and 10% increase for Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Bulgaria. These adjustments don’t fully cover the VAT differences, but we’ve chosen to keep the increase minimal and continue absorbing part of the cost ourselves—so you can still enjoy our maples without an excessive price jump.

We truly appreciate your understanding, and we warmly encourage you to advocate for lower VAT rates on plants with your local officials. Everyone deserves the joy of a beautiful maple at a fair price.

At The Maple Nursery, we don’t offer reservations—and here’s why.

Our Japanese maples need a full growing season before we can determine which plants are ready for sale. Even if we graft 10 of a particular cultivar, there’s no guarantee all 10 will thrive. Some may grow beautifully, while others may struggle or not survive. If we took advance reservations and some plants didn’t make it, we’d have to cancel orders and issue refunds—which we’d much rather avoid.

On top of that, managing reservations is not practical for us. Our trees grow in optimal conditions in greenhouses, and we sell both online and through other channels. With hundreds of trees, it becomes nearly impossible to keep track of which plants are reserved and which are still available, without compromising our time and focus on quality.

Instead, we release our available stock gradually in the fall and announce it on our social media channels (Facebook & Instagram). From there, it's first come, first served.

We appreciate your understanding and support!