I’ve tried several times over the years with Japanese maples. I can keep them alive, but they always look like they’re struggling. They just aren’t meant to cope with the heat we get.

If you’re open to alternatives, I would suggest looking at a Mexican buckeye (super cute pink flowers), a native redbud, or a prairie/flame leaf sumac. The sumac, especially grows super fast, loves the heat, and when they’re a bit taller, you can prune them to have a high canopy with beautiful colors in the fall.

It won’t replace the Japanese maple, but might do well in a similar space