No, if you have a Japanese maple that has survived in your garden and you also see them growing in other gardens in the area you do not need to protect in the winter. However I do not know where you live - in a very cold winter area (below 0 degrees or colder) then Japanese maples may not survive. It all depends on snow cover (snow is a good insulator) when the big freeze occurs (later in winter is better than early) and how much wind chill there is. I suggest you contact your local nursery or garden center about the winter hardiness of Japanese maples in your climate zone. Keep growing, Marianne Binetti