Q: I have a ‘Bloodgood’ Japanese maple in a container on my patio. It has lost its red color. Any idea why?

A: This is a common occurrence but there could be two causes. If the tree was grown from seed it may not be a pure ‘Bloodgood’ but a ‘semi-sorta -Bloodgood”, leading to differences in leaf color. In addition, high night temperatures cause a red-leaved tree to respire longer, consuming the sugars that keep the leaves red. If the tree seems healthy, it is probable that it will turn red again when cool nights return.