Trees japanese maples: 14 Varieties of Japanese Maple Trees With Great Foliage

14 Varieties of Japanese Maple Trees With Great Foliage

By

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu

David Beaulieu is a landscaping expert and plant photographer, with 20 years of experience. He was in the nursery business for over a decade, working with a large variety of plants. David has been interviewed by numerous newspapers and national U.S. magazines, such as Woman’s World and American Way.

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Updated on 05/08/22

Reviewed by

Mary Marlowe Leverette

Reviewed by
Mary Marlowe Leverette

Mary Marlowe Leverette is one of the industry’s most highly-regarded housekeeping and fabric care experts, sharing her knowledge on efficient housekeeping, laundry, and textile conservation. She is also a Master Gardener with over 40 years’ experience; writing for over 20 years.

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The Spruce / Loren Probish

Japanese maple trees (Acer palmatum) are prized for their delicate and colorful foliage throughout the growing season and autumn. This tree is a smallish, slow-growing species, with mature heights of 4–30 feet, depending on the cultivar. Although the tree blooms in spring, it’s the palmate leaves with five-, seven-, or nine-toothed lobes that offer the real appeal. The foliage offers striking color throughout the growing season, becoming even more beautiful with the fall color change.

Most Japanese maples are suitable for USDA hardiness zones 5–8, though a few can brave zone 4 if planted in protected locations. Japanese maples should be planted in full to partial sun and in well-drained soil. In zones 7–8, they can benefit from planting them in an area with partial shade or dappled sunlight to protect the leaves from the summer heat.

Many popular cultivars produce the familiar red foliage, but some provide brilliant green or gold tones—and even bicolor leaves. While there are many ways to select a Japanese maple, leaf color is the reason most people plant this tree.

These 14 Japanese maples are all great options, offering foliage ranging from red and yellow to green and variegated.

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  The Spruce / Loren Probish

  ‘Bloodgood’ is one of the most popular Japanese maple cultivars. It achieves a maximum size of 20 feet high with a similar spread, making it just the right size for patio landscaping. The leaves are reddish-purple in summer but tend to turn greener in full sun. At fall foliage time, the leaves deepen into crimson red. The word “atropurpureum” in the scientific name refers to a plant with dark reddish-purple foliage.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–8
  • Height: 15–20 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Coonara Pygmy’ (Acer palmatum ‘Coonara Pygmy’)

  UBC Botanical Garden

  This dwarf cultivar grows only about six feet high. Bright-green spring leaves develop a yellowish cast in summer and then turn a deep pink-red in fall. The ‘Coonara Pygmy’ was developed from a “witch’s broom” deformity found on a Japanese maple growing in Australia.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 6–9
  • Height: 3–6 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  The Spruce / Loren Probish

  ‘Crimson Queen’ is a small specimen, reaching a height of 8–10 feet and a spread of 10–12 feet.  This petite monarch has a pleasing weeping habit and dissected leaf type. It has dark-red summer leaves that mature to a crimson hue. Fall color is often a combination of yellow, red, purple, and bronze. When you see the word “dissectum” in the scientific name of a Japanese maple, it refers to foliage that’s deeply cut, with a lacy texture. Such plants are sometimes referred to as “lace leaf” or “threadleaf” maples.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–8
  • Height: 8–10 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Red Dragon’ (Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Red Dragon’)

  Simon McGill / Getty Images

  ‘Red Dragon’ is a small cultivar with striking reddish-purple foliage that transforms into bright crimson in the fall. This tree has an upright, pendulous growth habit and makes a spectacular mounding plant in any landscape. It also works well as a container tree.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–8
  • Height: 6–8 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Garnet’ (Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Garnet’)

  Sue Taylor / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

  ‘Garnet’ is another lace-leaf Japanese maple with red leaves. The foliage remains reddish-orange throughout the growing season and then fades to purplish-green in late summer before turning bright red in fall. This cultivar grows to a mature spread of about 9–12 feet.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–8
  • Height: 9–12 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Full Moon’ (Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’)

  Piekiełko Szkółka Drzew / Wikimedia Commons

  The ‘Full Moon’ or ‘Aureum’ cultivar of A. shirasawanum has showy bright-yellow foliage rather than the bright green found in the parent plant. The foliage gradually deepens to yellow-green in summer, and then turns orange-red in fall. It often grows as a multistemmed shrub but can also be trained with a single trunk as a small tree.

  • Native Area: Japan
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–7
  • Height: 16–20 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Autumn Moon’ (Acer shirasawanum ‘Autumn Moon’)

  Krzysztof Golik / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

  The ‘Autumn Moon’ cultivar of A. shirasawanum is one of the few Japanese maples that’s hardy into the lower portions of USDA hardiness zone 4. It has yellow-orange spring foliage that brightens into chartreuse for summer. It then turns a brilliant reddish-orange in the fall.

  • Native Area: Japan
  • USDA Growing Zones: 4–8
  • Height: 6–10 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Beni-Kawa’ (Acer palmatum ‘Beni-kawa’)

  Piqsels

  ‘Beni-Kawa’ is an A. palmatum cultivar that tops out at about 15 feet and is known for having colorful red bark. Soft, green spring leaves gradually turn yellow-gold through summer and into fall. It grows slowly, remaining under 7 feet high until it’s about 10 years old.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–9
  • Height: 12–15 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  Coral Bark Maple (Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’)

  David J. Stang / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0

  Coral bark maple is a full-size cultivar, growing to 25 feet in height, though it’s quite slow-growing. This is another type of Japanese maple with red bark that can provide good winter interest. The leaves are yellow-green when they emerge, deepening into yellow-gold by fall. In the landscape, this tree should be positioned where the attractive winter bark can be appreciated.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–8
  • Height: 20–25 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Filigree’ (Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Filigree’)

  Keith Szafranski / Getty Images

  ‘Filigree’ is a small cultivar of the A. palatum dissectum species, and it has the familiar lacy leaves of others in the dissectum group. The leaves are solid green through summer, turning golden in fall. The branches create a mounded shape with a cascading habit that may droop to the ground.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–8
  • Height: 4–6 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Butterfly’ (Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’)

  Henryr10 / Flickr / CC BY-NC-ND 2. 0

  ‘Butterfly’ is perhaps the most common of all variegated A. palmatum cultivars. It’s a shrubby tree with a rather irregular growth habit, but the green leaves have white margins and are often twisted in a manner unlike any other Japanese maple. The white portions of the leaves turn magenta or red in the fall. The unusual leaves make this an interesting bonsai plant. This cultivar received an Award of Merit in 1977 by the Boskoop Horticultural Society

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 6–8
  • Height: 7–12 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Peaches and Cream’ (Acer palmatum ‘Peaches and Cream’)

  Robmm21 / Flickr / CC BY-SA 2.0

  ‘Peaches and Cream’ is a dense, shrubby cultivar that is sometimes wider than it is tall. It has variegated creamy-white leaves with dark green veins. The foliage turns yellow in fall. It’s slow-growing and has been known to live for as long as 60 years. Acer palmatum ‘Peaches and Cream’ was discovered as a seedling in 1980 at Yamina Rare Plants in Australia.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5b–8
  • Height: 8–10 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘First Ghost’ (Acer palmatum ‘First Ghost’)

  Amazing Maples / Flickr

  ‘First Ghost’ is a relatively small upright tree, topping out at about 7 feet wide with a 4-foot spread. In spring, creamy white leaves are tipped with red, featuring prominent dark-green veins running throughout the leaves. In summer, the leaves shift to various shades of green and then turn yellow and orange in fall.

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–8
  • Height: 10–12 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

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  ‘Geisha Gone Wild’ (Acer palmatum ‘Geisha Gone Wild’)

  Gardenia. net

  ‘Geisha Gone Wild’ is a sport of the popular ‘Geisha’ cultivar, one of the most spectacular of all variegated Japanese maples. ‘Geisha Gone Wild’ is a larger, hardier plant than ‘Geisha.’ In spring, the new leaves are hot pink and then age to green with flecks of white and pink in summer. They change to spectacular orange in fall. It’s a slow grower, reaching 7 feet high in about 10 years (roughly one foot higher than ‘Geisha’).

  • Native Area: Japan, Korea, China
  • USDA Growing Zones: 5–8
  • Height: 5–7 feet
  • Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade

Japanese Maple Care and Growing Guide

Japanese Maple Trees | Buy Japanese Maple Trees

Japanese Maples are the most desirable garden trees that exist. A tree in fall is guaranteed to turn heads and gather admiring looks and the enormous variety of leaf forms, colors and tree shapes means that no matter what your taste or space restrictions, there will be a tree for you. Some grow into small trees 20 feet or more in height, others remain as low shrubs reaching five feet only after many years of growth.

They may be upright in form, pendulous or cascading, with red or green leaves and as well as their stunning fall coloring, many have remarkable colors on their new, early spring leaves too. There are also a wide number of varieties with red or purple leaves all summer, which bring a unique highlight to any garden.

Small Japanese Maple Tree

These small trees have a reputation for being hard to grow, but this is largely undeserved. With attention given to their location in the garden and some minimal care, they will thrive and increase in beauty every year. Compared with many other trees and shrubs, they have few pests or diseases and are versatile enough to thrive in locations ranging from full shade to full sun. They can be grown in the garden, in containers and of course they are ideal subjects for the ancient Japanese art of bonsai. These slow growing, dwarf varieties are sure to be the highlight of your landscape.

An Overview of Japanese Maples

Japanese Maples grow wild across the hills of Japan, Korea and into Mongolia and Russia too. As a wild tree it grows 20-35 feet tall, occasionally more, and usually has several trunks, rather than a single central trunk. The bark is smooth and gray on older limbs, but green, red or sometimes pink on younger shoots. This tree grows in the shade of larger forest trees, which is why it is more shade-tolerant than most other deciduous trees.

Being a Maple tree it has the typical lobed leaf, with veins spreading out like the fingers of a hand and ending in five to nine lobes, with one lobe in the center of the leaf. However, the leaves are much smaller than on typical Maple trees and since many garden forms have deeply divided leaves they may not be immediately recognized as Maple trees. Japanese Maple produce small flowers in spring and the seeds are the small ‘keys’ typical of all Maples, which twirl down to the ground in fall.

For many centuries the Japanese people have traveled to the countryside to see the fall color, like east-coast Americans admiring the Sugar Maple. More than an excuse for a picnic, momiji-gari is considered a lofty spiritual experience.

Unlike many plants, where each individual is very much the same as another, these trees are naturally very variable, with different leaf-forms, colors and tree shapes. Japanese gardeners began to collect these forms, and produce more from seedlings, so that today at least a thousand different forms are known. Many forms were developed in Japan and these of course have Japanese names, while others were bred in Europe or America and usually have English-sounding names. Although some purists only grow original Japanese varieties, many of the best and most popular were developed in the West and have been introduced back into Japan.

In the 19^th century travelers and botanists began to bring trees back from Japan and they quickly became very popular with gardeners in Europe and America. The Swiss botanist and doctor Carl Peter Thunberg named the tree Acer palmatum, because the leaf looked like a hand. The Japanese name momiji means the hand of a baby.

Most Popular Japanese Maples

Of the many forms introduced and bred, the most popular are those with red summer leaves; those with finely divided leaves; and those that are pendulous and cascading. However many of the other forms are very worthwhile garden plants, including forms with colored winter twigs, unusual leaf shapes and ones grown for particularly spectacular or unusual fall coloring. So making a different choice from the main-stream will always bring something special and unique into your garden.

Hardiness Zone

In gardens Japanese Maples are hardy from zone 5 to zone 8, with some being hardy into zone 9. Some varieties will thrive in zone 4 as well. In areas that are too cold the branches may suffer from damage in winter and die, although often the main stems will re-sprout.

In hot regions the main danger is heat and sun-scorch, which can cause the leaves to shrivel in summer. When this occurs trees will sprout normally the following spring. Growing trees in shadier locations and making sure they have sufficient water will normally prevent this problem in summer. In very warm areas there may not be sufficient winter cold to stimulate the buds to re-grow and this does make it impossible to grow these trees in tropical and sub-tropical places.

Japanese Maples in the Garden and Landscape

With the move to smaller gardens and tiny town gardens there is often a need for a tree, but most shade trees grow too large for small spaces and quickly become problems that mean they have to be removed, often at considerable expense.

The larger forms of Japanese Maples make ideal small trees, staying less than 15 feet tall for a long time and only very slowly reaching 20 feet or more. With some pruning they can be kept small indefinitely. This also makes them ideal for growing in planter boxes and large containers too, where they can be moved around as needed and where they will not have to compete with larger trees for water and nutrients.

In larger gardens they are ideal for growing under mature, large trees and will thrive happily in the shade of deciduous trees, where they can be grown directly underneath them. Beneath evergreen trees they can be grown on the north-facing or east-facing side, in the shadow, but they will find the continuous shade directly underneath dense evergreens less than ideal. Beneath open pines and trees that do not have dense shade they will however grow well.

These trees can also be grown in full-sun and there they will develop a denser crown and often show stronger fall colors. In cooler areas this is an ideal location but in warmer regions it becomes more likely that the leaves will dry and shrivel, so shade, especially from afternoon sun, is best in zones 7, 8 and 9.

Planting Location

Choose a location where you tree can easily be seen, so that you can enjoy it at any season. Cascading trees look very beautiful on slopes or by water, while upright trees make great background plants or specimens. They make beautiful companions for other shade-loving plants like Azalea, Rhododendron, Holly and Hemlock. A beautiful and special garden can be created beneath large shade trees using these plants, which will be interesting at all seasons of the year.

If you have a courtyard garden or just a deck or terrace, you can successfully grow a Japanese Maple by planting it in a container or planter box. For a young tree this does not have to be very large, but remember that smaller pots need more frequent watering, especially during the summer months. All sorts of containers can be used, but make sure that whatever you use has a drainage hole. Trees in containers can be moved around so that they can be admired at special seasons and also to give them more, or less, direct sun depending on the season.

Although in the minds of many people these trees are connected with oriental style and Japanese gardens, in fact they can and do fit well into almost any garden style, so don’t think that you have the ‘wrong’ garden for them. From woodland gardens to town courtyard gardens, these trees always make a special impact. One of the best things about a Japanese Maple is that they become more and more beautiful as the years go by. Old, mature trees have a dignity and grandeur that cannot be beaten and they also become valuable assets. Old trees sell for thousands of dollars.

Growing Japanese Maples as Bonsai

For some the highest use of this wonderful tree is to grow it as bonsai. This ancient Japanese and Chinese art uses living trees to create beautiful art objects that can grace a terrace or a dining table. In Japan, houses have special niches for displaying objects and bonsai trees are often brought indoors to show their beauty. Bonsai is a specialized form of gardening that is not difficult but takes some special knowledge.

Any Japanese Maple can be used, from upright to cascading, and the training enhances the natural beauty of the tree. If trees are grown indoors as bonsai they must spend some time outdoors or refrigerated in winter to keep them healthy. In Japan bonsai trees are grown outdoors and only brought inside for short periods to admire them. Just as they do in the garden, trees as bonsai become more beautiful and more valuable as they mature.

Caring For Japanese Maples

Choose the location carefully when planting your tree. Protection from afternoon sun and drying winds is helpful in all but the coolest areas, although some varieties are more heat resistant than others. If you are planting a cascading form, a slope, bank or the top of a wall will show the beauty of this tree better than planting it on flat ground.

Soil Type

Caring for your new tree begins with preparing the soil. Your tree will do well in most kinds of soil, as long as it does not stay wet for long periods. Flooded soil is not suitable. Whatever the soil you have, your tree will do better if you add a generous amount of organic material before planting. This can be garden compost, well-rotted animal manures like cow, sheep or horse manure, rotted leaves or peat-moss. One or two buckets of material should be dug well into the soil where you tree is going to be planted. Add some bone-meal, rock phosphate or superphosphate to give good root growth.

Watering and Drainage

For planting in containers or planter boxes, make sure your container has drainage holes or it will be impossible to stop the soil from flooding and killing your tree. Holes can be drilled in most containers – for ceramic ones use a slow-speed drill and a masonry bit, making a small hole first and then enlarging it with larger bits. Use a potting soil for outdoor planters and top-up the pot each spring with fresh soil.

When planting, make sure you use plenty of water during the planting operation. Do not plant into dry soil and then just sprinkle the surface afterwards. Mulch of a rich organic material should be put on over the whole root area after planting. For the first year or two, make sure to water your tree regularly, once a week from spring to fall and twice a week during hot weather. In warm areas winter watering may be necessary during sunny and dry periods.

Your tree will not need staking, but if you are growing a cascading form it is possible to create a taller tree with a very attractive form by staking a few branches upright, keeping them staked until they are firm and support themselves. This will create a multi-tiered tree that is very attractive and eye-catching.

Mulch and Fertilizer

In spring renew the mulch and apply a small quantity of tree fertilizer, scattered over the whole root zone. Young trees also benefit from liquid fertilizer during the early years, applied in late spring and early summer.

Trees in planters and containers should be fed with a liquid fertilizer once a month from the time growth begins until late summer. Be careful to follow the directions and use a half-strength solution or the foliage may burn. Do not fertilize a dormant tree as this may stimulate sudden new growth which could be damaged by frost. Water trees in containers whenever the upper inch or so of the soil becomes dry. Always water thoroughly until a little water comes through the drainage holes.

Pruning and Trimming

Pruning is not normally required, except for removing any small branches that may naturally die as the tree develops. Long shoots can be trimmed back a little to encourage denser growth, but trimming and heavy pruning could destroy the natural habit of your tree, which is its greatest asset. Trees in containers may need more regular trimming to keep them within the space available, but unless you are growing bonsai, trimming is one chore you can forget with your Japanese Maple.

If you enjoy pruning and trimming your plants, some growers do prune their trees to develop a more mature appearance earlier than would happen naturally. The time to do this is in winter, when you tree is dormant – February in cooler areas and January in warmer regions. Remove small branches coming from the lower parts of the major stems and any branches that are crossing or rubbing against each other.

Leave branches where you want to have major limbs, spacing them out so that the tree looks more open and even a bit sparse. Shorten back long stems to encourage denser growth. Always cut just above a pair of buds. A second trimming of new shoots in early summer will also help your tree to look more mature. Look at the pictures of mature trees of your particular variety to see what a mature tree looks like and try to prune your young tree in that way.

Differences Between Japanese Maple Varieties

After thousands of years of collecting and breeding, there are at least 1,000 different varieties of Japanese Maples. Some are quite similar to each other and only of interest to collectors, but there are many unique and special forms of outstanding beauty which are very popular with all gardeners. The major areas of difference are:

Leaf Form

This varies from quite large and full to small and delicately divided into many narrow threads.

Leaf Color

Almost all trees showing attractive fall color, with some trees being grown specifically for this. Others have red leaves in spring and summer and these are perhaps the most popular. Some varieties also show strong colors in the new leaves, which can be pink, orange, red or even white in spring. These colors may change into red or green during the summer. Some trees also have variegated leaves, in yellow and green.

Branch Arrangement

Some trees have upright branches and look like ‘regular’ trees, while some have horizontal branches, forming a low, wide tree. Others have branches that fall at lower angles, forming pendulous, weeping and cascading forms.

Overall Size

Because of their relatively slow growth rate, and depending on climate and growing conditions, it can be hard to predict the ultimate size of a tree. Some will grow into small trees perhaps 15-25 feet tall, while others, especially cascading forms, remain low and spreading forever and may never even reach five feet in high, although they can be much wider across.

Types of Japanese Maples

So we will look at some specific types, especially the most popular and available ones. With such a wide variety to choose from there is sure to be the ideal tree for your particular needs and desires, not matter where you live or what you garden is like.

Upright Japanese Maples

There are a whole range of varieties which grow into upright, multi-stemmed trees between 10 and 25 feet tall. These usually mature into trees with a rounded crown, nearly as wide across as they are tall. Trees in shade will be narrower and more upright than those grown in full sun. These trees are the ideal choice for a smaller shade tree and all have spectacular fall coloring. Some of the most popular have red foliage all summer long, but the green-leafed forms should not be neglected as they have a lot to offer.

Varieties with Green Summer Leaves

Coral Bark: A unique tree that brings a whole new dimension to these remarkable plants. Also known as ‘Sango-kaku’, it forms an upright tree with green, divided leaves that turn a perfect butter yellow in fall. But it is in winter, when the garden is sleeping, that this tree really stand out, as the younger branches and twigs are brilliant coral pink from the day the last leaf drops to the moment when the new leaves emerge in spring. Winter in the garden can be boring, so a tree like this is just the thing to bring interest to the drabbest of seasons. This is also one of the easiest and undemanding of all the varieties, requiring no special care at all, so for the beginner that makes it the perfect choice.

Osakazuki: The perfect way to bring vibrant fall color into a small garden. This is one of the fastest-growing Maples and it will be almost 20 feet tall in ten years, eventually reaching perhaps 25 feet, with a rounded but upright form, perfect for the smaller garden. This is a tough, hardy tree that will thrive in light shade and it is the ideal courtyard tree. With elegant green leaves in summer, it turns the most amazing palette of gold, orange, red and copper every fall – truly a remarkable tree.

Varieties with Red Summer Leaves

Bloodgood: This is probably the most well-known and widely grown variety, and there is a good reason for that. This is the hardiest variety of all, growing happily with winter lows of minus 30, but also happy in hot summer weather. So for gardeners in zone 4, Bloodgood is the premium choice. In time in can grow into a tree 20 feet tall, with an upright habit and semi-horizontal branches. The leaves are not as finely divided as some other forms, giving more substance to the tree and they are deep pink in spring, purple-red in summer and crimson in fall. The tree will grow well in shade, but in colder areas it also grows well in full-sun and there it will have the strongest summer color.

Emperor (‘Wolff’): This variety will grow into an upright tree about 15 feet tall, holding its purple-red leaf color from spring to fall, when it ends the season in a blaze of scarlet. It is also very fast growing, so a worthwhile specimen will develop in just a few years. It has another unique quality that makes it very useful in colder areas. Sometimes a tree will survive winter without any damage, but if you live in an area with spring frosts, early shoots on your trees and shrubs can be damaged. This tree is slower by a couple of weeks in leafing-out than other varieties, so it is much less likely to be damaged by a late frost. If that is a feature of your area, this tree is the number one choice.

Purple Ghost: One of the smallest of the upright Japanese Maples, growing into a tree that is rarely more than 10 feet tall. So if you have a small space or are looking for a tree for a large pot, this is the one to choose. It has rich purple-red leaves that keep their color well all summer, before turning brilliant crimson in fall.

Sherwood Flame: Remarkable not only for its beautiful red leaves all summer, but for also having the most vibrant fall display of all the red-leaf forms. Not content with just turning a brighter red, this tree bursts into a blazing crimson bonfire in your garden every fall. While other trees are plain in winter, this tree is known for flowering at a young age and producing a heavy crop of delightful red maple keys, that festoon the branches well into the winter, bringing its own decorations to the festive season. The summer color of the star-shaped leaves will not fade and this tree’s rounded but upright habit will not overcrowded the smallest garden, as it rarely grows above 15 feet tall.

Weeping Japanese Maples

Some varieties have a semi-upright habit, forming a rounded dome with slightly weeping branches, often growing from one or several mainly upright stems. These form medium sized shrubs that are excellent specimens in shrub beds or as part of foundation plantings, as well as being attractive in planters and pots, among rocks or around a pond.

Other forms have branches that hang down and make a mound of stems, unless staked to make them more upright. These cascading forms are best grown on banks or at the top of walls where they can be seen in all their glory.

Varieties with Rounded or Dome-shaped Crowns

Crimson Queen: This is probably the top-pick of the red-leaved, weeping forms, growing into a large shrub ten feet tall and about the same across. This tree is known for holding its red leaf-color through the summer better than any other form, even in shade, making it certainly the best choice for those locations. It turns bright red in fall. The branches are weeping, creating a graceful rounded form even in young trees.

Inaba-shidare: A large shrub or small tree with an upright trunk and weeping smaller branches, so that it forms a broad, rounded tree. The finely-divided leaves are very dark purple-red in spring, gradually becoming lighter and more vivid as summer comes and then ending in fall a fiery crimson red. This tree is fast growing, so it quickly becomes a real feature in your garden, thriving in sun and partial-shade. ‘Inaba-shidare’ has to be one of the top picks of the red-leaved trees.

Red Dragon: The perfect choice when you have a sunny location and need a tree that will not scorch. This variety is the most sun-tolerant form available and will stay fresh and happy in sunshine all day long. The leaves emerge cherry-pink in spring, turn red for the summer and become crimson in fall – a glory all year round. The tree is rounded to cascading in shape, and some summer watering is worthwhile in very hot locations.

Varieties with Pendulous and Weeping Branches

Garnet: Unique for its remarkable leaf coloring, this small, weeping tree has leaves that emerge in spring a vibrant shade of red-orange. Remarkably, this color does not fade, but is retained all summer long, before turning the richest deep red in fall. Garnet remains small, with a perfect weeping form, making it ideal on a bank, at the top of a wall, by a pond or in a tall pot. It is shade tolerant and also thrives in warmer, more humid climates than many other varieties. It will grow into a shrub just 6 to 9 feet tall, but 8 to 12 feet wide, so leave room for it to spread.

Green Cascade: The name says it all. It will grow into a cascading shrub just 5 feet tall but up to 8 feet across. With its cascading habit it is ideal planted at the top of a wall or on a bank, or in the foreground of a shrub border. It does well in warm areas and because the leaves are larger than in many other varieties it is especially resistant to sun, so it is ideal for the sunniest spot in any garden. The leaves may be green color all summer, but when fall comes this tree pulls out all the stops and becomes a kaleidoscope of gold, orange and shades of red.

Green Mist: Features the most finely-divided foliage of almost any of these remarkable trees, so fine that the tree resembles a cloud floating in the garden. A fully cascading form, this green colored tree will flow across the ground on any slope, or spill over a wall or boulder in a delightful way. Because the foliage is so fine, it is best to grow this tree in a well-watered location, with shade from the midday and afternoon sun. Despite the fineness of the leaves it will grow well even in zone 9 if planted in shade.

Tamuke-yama: The fastest growing of the cascading forms. It is also the most heat resistant and so the ideal choice for hotter, humid areas. The leaves are reliably purple-red all summer, turning crimson in fall. With its rapid growth rate it will soon become a feature in your garden, but as it slows with maturity it will never be more than 8-10 feet across. Growing well in sun and shade, for southern gardeners this is the tree of choice.

Waterfall: The ultimate variety for cascading forms. No other tree has such a full, cascading habit of and it will literally stream down a bank or wall, exactly like a green waterfall. The foliage may be a restful green all summer, but in fall it lets loose with a riot of yellow, gold, orange and red that will rival the most colorful of fall trees. It is perfect on a wall or bank, where it can spill in every direction.

Weeping Viridis: Larger than many other cascading forms, so it is the ideal choice for a larger property. It will grow to 10 feet tall and 10 feet across, with weeping branches falling to the ground. The leaves are cool green all summer, and then they turn vibrant yellow, orange and scarlet in fall. For a reliable, weeping form this is an outstanding and unique tree that makes the perfect complement to the more common red-leaf forms.

Rare and Unique Forms

Some trees do not fit neatly into the ‘upright’ or ‘weeping’ categories and have some other unique feature that sets them out as special. This may be unusual leaf forms, a different way of growing, or some other feature.

Lion’s Head (‘Shishigashira’): A very special tree that is rarely seen, but deserves to be grown more widely for its unique appearance. Unlike the delicate shape of most forms, it has a bold, upright presence, with rounded and crinkled leaves. The shoots and leaves cluster on the upper parts of the branches, so that a tree looks like the shaggy mane of a noble lion. Fall color is gold to red on this special tree. Despite its rugged and bold look, this tree remains small and is ideal for a unique container plant – especially in an Asian-themed garden, but also making a remarkable statement in any location.

Popular Japanese Maple Colors
Name	Leaf-colors:summer (fall)	Form	Height/Spread (ft)
Bloodgood	red (crimson)	upright	20/20
Coral Bark	green (golden yellow)	upright	25/12
Emperor	Purple-red (scarlet)	upright	15/15
Lion’s Head	Green (gold, red)	upright	15/12
Osakazuki	green (gold, orange, red)	upright	25/15
Purple Ghost	red (crimson)	upright	10/6
Sherwood Flame	red (bright crimson)	upright	16/14
Inaba-shidare	purple-red (crimson)	horizontal/weeping	10/15
Red Dragon	cherry-pink, red (crimson)	round/weeping	12/12
Crimson Queen	Red (crimson)	weeping	10/12
Garnet	red-orange (deep red)	weeping	9/12
Green Cascade	green (gold, orange, red)	cascading	5/8
Green Mist	green (gold, red)	cascading	5/7
Tamuke-yama	purple-red (crimson)	cascading	8/10
Waterfall	green(gold, orange, red)	cascading	10/12
Weeping Viridis	Green (gold, orange, scarlet)	cascading	8/10

Bloodgood Japanese Maple For Sale Online

If you’ve looked in envy at beautiful Japanese Maples but thought you lived in too cold an area, think again. Even in eastern Canada you will see the glorious Bloodgood Japanese Maple thriving, hardy to minus 30. A whole zone tougher than its relatives, this red-leafed maple has delicate fingered leaves that emerge red, turn a rich burgundy all summer than end with crimson shades in fall. Making a small, upright tree, this special Japanese Maple will thrive in shade as well as cold and be a delight at all seasons.

• Hardy to minus 30 – the toughest Japanese Maple available
• Perfect small tree form
• Burgundy leaves all summer long
• Thrives in sun in cooler regions
• Easy to grow choice

Whether you grow it because you live in a colder region, or because you want a trouble-free Japanese maple to grace your yard, this burgundy beauty will soon grow into a small tree of great delicacy, perfect for any restful corner of your garden or a special eastern-themed design too.

The Bloodgood Japanese Maple is a great ornamental tree. The rich reds of this cultivar begin with the first buds in spring, which dapple the gray-brown twigs. Next, begin the leaves. The seven-nodes of the Bloodgood cultivar provide a sharp shape patterned with the cascading silhouette of the tree itself. Many gardeners choose to plant the Bloodgood Japanese Maple as an accent plant, as it draws attention with its coloring. Paired alongside a dark green backdrop, the Bloodgood Japanese Maple’s red provides a stark aesthetic contrast.

Bloodgood Japanese Maple Growth Rate

Although Bloodgood Maples can reach 15 feet in height, some landscapers choose to prune the Maple to a more desirable height, allowing the tree to fit into small garden nooks and crannies. This tree has a slow to moderate growth rate; growing between 1 and 2 feet per year.

The growth rate of the Bloodgood Japanese Maple depends a great deal on location, watering, and soil conditions. To achieve faster growth, heavy watering and fertilizer can be used; however, opting to allow the Bloodgood to grow at its more slower, more natural pace will ensure proper branching.

When mature, the Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree will reach between 12 and 18 feet in height, though it can easily be cut-back to a shorter height if preferred. The tree will also reach between 15 and 25 feet wide, sometimes almost doubling its height.

Bloodgood Japanese Maple Coloring and Appearance

The Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree is only one of hundreds of charming ornamental trees, so what makes this variety special? First of all, the color! The Bloodgood is a rich scarlet red, and this bold color is what causes the Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree to stand out from the crowd. The tree’s bold burgundy contrasts perfectly with garden greenery, causing a visual sensation.

Seasoned gardeners suggest pairing the Bloodgood Japanese Maple with grasses and evergreen trees, thereby recreating an Asian-style garden. The Bloodgood’s preference for a moist soil means a meandering stream makes a great partner to its beauty.

Pruning and Trimming Bloodgood Maples

For many gardeners, fast-growing trees are preferred, yet the moderate growth of the Bloodgood Japanese Maple makes it easier to manage and control. Shaping through pruning becomes more manageable, and the tree itself tends to have a more natural shape. The cascading, or weeping, quality is assigned to Bloodgoods, which curve their boughs downward to provide pleasant shade and color.

Drought Tolerance

Furthermore, the Bloodgood Japanese Maple is drought tolerant. Even though moderate watering is preferred by Japanese Maples in general, the Bloodgood can withstand several days without water. This is an enormous benefit to those gardeners who live in drought-prone areas, such as the southwest. Simply water the tree once a week!

Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit

The Bloodgood Japanese Maple has also been awarded the prestigious Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit, which identifies the best garden plants and trees. In order to qualify for such an award, the Bloodgood cultivar had to display availability, value in the garden scene, hardy constitution, no need for specialized care, no pest or disease susceptibility, and minimal reversion. Only the best species earn the coveted award, and the Bloodgood Japanese Maple is one of them!

Quality of Bloodgood Maples at The Tree Center

Beware! There are false Bloodgood Japanese Maple Trees available on the open market. These trees are bare-rooted and grown from seed, making them less colorful and less likely to display the traits so aligned with the Bloodgood. Sometimes nurseries will even replace the Bloodgood with a cheaper variety to cut costs! These replacements frequently lack the very qualities for which homeowners flock to the Bloodgood.

The Tree Center ensures the Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree you purchase will be of the highest quality. Carefully educated arborists and botanists work to stimulate the growth of the Bloodgood sapling, which when partnered with your proper planting and daily care equal beautiful growth. Do not settle for less! Visit The Tree Center to buy your Bloodgood, and rest assured you will be making a low-cost investment in a great tree!

Planting Your Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree

The best way to ensure successful growth of the Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree is to plant the tree properly. First, find a location in either the full sun or partial shade; however, they prefer partial shade. This will also translate to richer red leaves. Although the Bloodgood is relatively adaptable to various soils, it prefers moist, well-draining soil.

Dig a hole three times as wide as the Bloodgood’s root ball. Do not worry too much about depth. The root ball can even protrude from the soil about 1 inch, since the tree will settle over time. Hold the tree vertically in the hole while backfilling with soil and water. Once the tree is firmly in the hole, add mulch and water the tree heavily. Continue to monitor, providing water once a week.

The Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree grows well in USDA Hardiness Zones 5-9. They prefer well-drained soil that retains moisture.

Mulch and Fertilizer

The Bloodgood Japanese Maple Tree does not require fertilizer; however, if your soil is lacking in nutrient matter, a slow release well-balanced fertilizer (10-10-10) can be applied once in the spring to help prompt tree growth. Mulch is a great tool to use when planting Japanese Maples. Simply apply a 3-inch layer of natural mulch, such as those made of wood chips or bark, in a 3-foot radius around the tree’s base. Water the mulch, which will help conserve water and, when decomposed, add nutrient matter to the soil.

Buying Bloodgood Japanese Maples at The Tree Center

You can find a wide range of Bloodgood Japanese Maple Trees at The Tree Center, which carries different sizes to meet your gardening needs. The best of the breed is only available here. But hurry and act fast because the award-winning Bloodgood Japanese Maple is popular and supplies are limited. Our stock is always changing, so visit The Tree Center today to buy your Bloodgood Japanese Maple!

Red Dragon Japanese Maple For Sale Online

Everyone loves Japanese maples, but if you have a sunny garden you may have been told that Japanese Maples will not take sun, but the Red Dragon Japanese Maple is the exception to that. Much more sun tolerant that other forms, this beautiful, cascading small tree will thrive in the open and in full sun, as long as some water is available in the hottest months.

• Best choice for sunny locations
• Wonderful seasonal variety of leaf colors
• Perfect size for smaller gardens or spaces
• Gorgeous cascading branches
• Grows in any ordinary soil

Red Dragon Japanese Maple has fingered leaves like the claws of a dragon and in spring they emerge a bright cherry red, turn burgundy over summer, holding their color well and then exploding into crimson tones in fall. Happy in ordinary garden conditions, this is the perfect starter Japanese Maple, and the pick of connoisseurs too.

Japanese Maples are the queens of the garden, with an air of delicate beauty that falsely suggests they are incredibly difficult to grow. This is not true; if placed in a suitable location they will spend trouble-free lives in your garden, becoming more and more beautiful and special with each passing year. In small gardens particularly, every plant has to be special to earn a place and the Red Dragon Japanese Maple is so very special it belongs in every garden. Every season will be a joy with your tree. In spring the leaves will emerge a brilliant cherry color, darkening through the summer and then turning scarlet in fall. No other Japanese Maple Tree keeps its red color so well as Red Dragon. In winter the delicate tracery of the twigs will be a charming picture in your sleeping garden

Growing Red Dragon Japanese Maple Trees

Red Dragon Japanese Maple will grow slowly to 8 or 10 feet tall, becoming broader and more dome-shaped as it grows. Because it stays small there is room for this amazing tree in even the smallest garden. Even if you don’t have a garden at all it makes a beautiful tree for a pot and is also a perfect specimen for bonsai. Growing in a gorgeous oriental container this will be a specimen for your terrace or balcony that will bring oriental grace to any setting. It can even be brought inside for short periods but it should live outdoors most of the time.

Hardiness and Sun Exposure

The Red Dragon Japanese Maple is hardy from zones 5 to 8, so it can be grown in gardens across most of America. It does best in partial shade, especially with protection from the hot afternoon sun. Red Dragon is more tolerant of sunlight than most other kinds of dissected Japanese Maples, so it will succeed in pretty sunny locations as long as it gets plenty of water. A location protected from hot drying winds or cold winter winds is best, so in front of large shrubs is an ideal location.

Planting Location

Choose the location for your Red Dragon Japanese Maple carefully. Find a place with the right amount of shade that is also a place where you can see your tree and admire it. Dig a hole three times wider than the pot and add lots of organic material and peat-moss to the soil. Place your plant in the hole, replace most of the soil and firm it well down. Then water thoroughly and replace the rest of the soil, being careful not to cover the roots with any extra soil. Mulch around your tree but keep the mulch away from the trunk.

Soil Conditions and Mulching

The Red Dragon Japanese Maple prefers deep, loamy soil rich in organic material and damp, well-drained and slightly acidic. If you soil is alkaline use a fertilizer called chelated iron each spring to keep your tree healthy. It is a good idea to also mulch around your tree each spring with peat-moss or lime-free compost or manure to conserve moisture.

Pruning and Trimming

Pruning is not normally needed but should be done in winter or late fall if required to shape your tree a little. Your tree will do best left to naturally develop its own unique grace and charm. You should immediately remove any plain-green shoots that might appear.

History and Origins of the Red Dragon Japanese Maple

The Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) is native to Japan, Korea and parts of Russia and Mongolia. It is a small tree that grows 20 to 30 feet tall in the shade beneath other larger forest trees. For centuries unusual specimens have been collected and cultivated in Japan and more recently also in North America and Europe, so that today hundreds of different forms are available. The most popular features are red leaves and finely divided, or dissected, leaves. Most of the red-leaved forms are beautiful in spring but tend to lose their color over summer and become dingy and greenish.

Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Red Dragon’ was especially bred in New Zealand and recently introduced into America to have red leaves that stay a brilliant red all season. It also stays as a small tree that will reach just 8 or perhaps 10 feet tall eventually and almost as much across. When mature it is a dome-shaped tree with a twisted trunk and curving branches with a semi-weeping habit. The leaves are 2 to 3 inches long, with seven lobes and they are deeply dissected right to the base, with toothed edges as well, giving the leave a very glamorous appearance.

The leaves emerge in spring a bright cherry-red color, slowly turn crimson red during summer and then bright scarlet in fall. Not only do the leaves hold their red color well, they show a pageant of shades as the seasons follow each other. Flowers that may occur in spring are insignificant. The bark is smooth and grey-green, with delicate light-gray lines flowing across it. The young stems are red and make a beautiful picture in the winter even without the leaves.

Buying Red Dragon Japanese Maples at The Tree Center

Red Dragon Japanese Maple is such a special plant that only the exact plant will have the right color and form. So it must be produced directly from trees absolutely known to exactly the right variety. Our trees are grown the correct way, by grafting small branches of these special trees onto seedlings of ordinary Japanese Maples. That way every tree is identical to the original and you will be delivered a real Red Dragon tree. All this takes time and the trees grow slowly, so cheap trees will not be genuine. There are many inferior red Japanese Maples available that will only be a great disappointment to you.

We sell only trees that are true to the original form and we have a wide range of sizes to give you the best plant for your purpose. However we are constantly renewing our stock so our customers get fresh, healthy plants, so supplies of this tree may be limited. To avoid disappointment order now.

Japanese Maple Trees for Sale

Up to 46% off

Bloodgood Japanese Maple

Sunlight: Best color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun

Growth Rate: Moderate

Starting at $69.95

Up to 25% off

Coral Bark Japanese Maple Tree

Sunlight: Best color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun in cooler regions

Growth Rate: Moderate

Starting at $109. 95

Up to 20% off

Red Dragon Japanese Maple Tree

Sunlight: Best color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun in cooler regions

Growth Rate: Slow

Starting at $119.95

Up to 25% off

Tamukeyama Japanese Maple Tree

Sunlight: Best Color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun

Growth Rate: Moderate

Starting at $89. 95

Up to 28% off

Emperor Japanese Maple Tree

Sunlight: Best Color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun

Growth Rate: Moderate

Starting at $99.95

Up to 7% off

Waterfall Japanese Maple

Sunlight: Best Color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun in cooler regions

Growth Rate: Slow

Starting at $129. 95

Up to 12% off

Red Select Japanese Maple Tree

Sunlight: Best Color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun

Growth Rate: Moderate

Starting at $69.95

Butterfly Japanese Maple Tree

Sunlight: Best Color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun in cooler regions

Growth Rate: Slow

Starting at $169. 95

Up to 42% off

Red Japanese Maple Tree

Sunlight: Best Color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun

Growth Rate: Moderate

Starting at $39.95

Weeping Japanese Maple ‘Viridis’ Tree

Sunlight: Best Color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun

Growth Rate: Slow

Starting at $199. 95

Up to 10% off

Crimson Queen Japanese Maple

Sunlight: Best color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun

Growth Rate: Moderate

Starting at $129.95

Sold Out

Bihou Japanese Maple Tree

Sunlight: Best Color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun in cooler regions

Growth Rate: Moderate

Sold Out

Sold Out

Aureum Japanese Maple Tree

Sunlight: Shade to Part Shade (morning sun only)

Growth Rate: Moderate

Sold Out

Rich, Vibrant Color From Month to Month.

There’s nothing like the iconic Japanese Maple Trees, from their colors and sizes to their one-of-a-kind leaf shape. Exotic good looks define this timeless variety, known for its blazing hues that last for months at a time.

You will get more than a splash of color with Japanese maples for multiple seasons. Some varieties have leaves that emerge green before turning shades of bright or dark red. Other Japanese Maples emerge from dormancy with dark shades of red that almost seem purple before turning green in the summer and bright red, yellow, or orange in the fall. The Coral Bark Japanese Maple even has a bright red trunk!

How Big Do Japanese Maple Trees Get?

Landscapers think outside of the box with Japanese Maples. That’s because they are available in a variety of shapes, including vase-like with multiple trunks like the Bloodgood Japanese Maple and weeping like the Viridis Japanese Maple. But no matter which variety (and size) you choose, you get a smaller silhouette that fits well into any space.

How to Plant Japanese Maple Trees

The planting process couldn’t be simpler. First, ensure that you’ve purchased Japanese Maple Trees that will thrive in your growing zone. Then, determine how much sunlight your variety needs – from full sun (6 to 8 hours of sunlight) to partial sun (4 to 6 hours of sunlight) and beyond.

From there, the actual planting process is easy. Dig a hole large enough to accommodate your tree’s root ball (with a bit of extra width for room to grow), place your tree, backfill the soil and water to settle. We also recommend mulching the area to conserve moisture.

How to Prune Japanese Maple Trees

Wait until the dormant winter season to prune your Japanese Maple Trees. At this point, you can remove diseased, dead or broken branches, suckers and any competing branches for best growth. Remember to make your cuts with a clean, sterilized pair of shears and cut at a 45-degree angle.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Japanese Maples like sun or shade?
Japanese Maples can grow in full sun or part shade. However, choosing a more shaded planting area will lead to more vibrant and vivid foliage colors. Any area that receives about 4-8 hours of sunlight per day should suffice. In hotter climates, some afternoon shade is preferable to protect your tree from the harsh sun.

How fast do Japanese Maples grow?
The growth rate of Japanese Maples depends on the specific variety, location, growing conditions, and care of the tree. Most of our Japanese Maples grow at a moderate rate and will need about 2-3 years to become firmly established in your landscape.

Are Japanese Maples hard to grow?
Japanese Maples are known to be tough and adaptable trees but still require proper care and attention. As long as you follow the planting and care info found on each of our variety pages, your Japanese Maples should thrive! 

A Guide to Different Japanese Maple Types

If you’ve ever shopped for a Japanese maple, you have no doubt noticed that they come in an astounding array of leaf colors and shapes, and a range of growth habits and sizes.

While that’s wonderful in terms of options, it can be a challenge when you’re trying to talk all things Japanese maple: “You know, the one with the really deeply divided lobes? Not, not that one. The one with the super serrated edges? No…”

Some enthusiasts simply divide maple trees into two groups: upright and weeping. But if you want to truly understand this diverse and ever-evolving group of plants, you need to be able to describe them more specifically.

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That’s why experts on these plants created 17 categories to define all of the different types of Japanese maples that are out there.

In our guide to growing Japanese maples, we cover how to cultivate these trees in your landscape.

This guide helps to make sense of all of the different categories, plus we’ll provide details about a few plants that exemplify each group. Here’s what’s ahead:

What You’ll Learn

• How Japanese Maples Are Categorized
• Amoenum
• Atropurpureum
• Aureum
• Convexum
• Corallinum
• Crispum
• Dissectum
• Linearilobum
• Matsumurae
• Marginatum
• Palmatum
• Pinebark
• Red Wood
• Reticulatum
• Sessilifolium
• Variegatum
• Witches’-Broom

If you assumed that the main difference between Japanese maples was growth habit and size, you’re in for a real treat! Let’s get started.

How Japanese Maples Are Categorized

If you’ve ever shopped for Japanese maples, you might not realize that many of them are mislabeled.

But I’ve taken a gander at the available varieties at several places that shall remain nameless and found that they had multiple trees that were labeled completely wrong!

I felt bad for the customers who thought they were bringing home a tree that was labeled as a type having red foliage, only to discover after they planted it that the foliage turns green in the summer.

Clearly, there was a gap in the Japanese maple world that led to some labeling confusion. Enter the Maple Society. Using their system, you’d know if you were looking at a correctly labeled atropurpureum that it would stay red all summer long.

The Maple Society is a United Kingdom-based group that registers new cultivars in the Acer genus, and taps into the expertise of botanists and Japanese maple experts around the world.

They have officially broken up the broad category of Japanese maples into 17 groups, using the system defined by noted expert Cor van Gelderen, and building on the work of nurseryman Benoit Choeau.

This system is particularly helpful because these plants may come from one of numerous Acer species that are indigenous to Japan.

A. palmatum is the most common, but you’ll also see the species A. shirasawanum, A. japonicum, A. capilipes, and more, along with their hybrids.

Originally, J.D. Vertrees, a highly respected entomologist, grower, and educator based in Oregon who is generally thought of as one of the most knowledgeable Japanese maple experts in the West, grouped the plants into seven categories.

Five of his categories are used by the Maple Society today, plus twelve more. The five categories that overlap between Vertrees’ and the Maple Society’s are: amoenum, dissectum, linearilobum, matsumurae, and palmatum.

Vertrees also grouped all dwarf plants together, and had a final category called “other” for everything else.

Both classification systems are generally based on the division of the leaf lobes, variegation, and color.

Before we jump in, we need a quick leaf anatomy lesson so we are all on the same page with these terms:

• Lobes on a leaf are projections that extend from a central point, like fingers.
• A sinus is the gap between the lobes.
• A petiole is the little stem that attaches the leaf to the branch of the tree.
• The margin is the outside edge of the leaf, and the veins extend from the petiole up through the leaf to transport water.

Now, let’s take a look at each of the 17 classifications used to describe Japanese maples today.

Amoenum

This group is a good one to start with, because it includes basically any plant that doesn’t have distinct characteristics that put it in another category.

What they all have in common is that the leaves aren’t deeply lobed, and the foliage is green in the summer.

Beyond that, this group is related in that they all have leaves with seven distinct lobes.

Check out ‘Ōsakazuki’ for a good example of this variety. The bright green leaves have seven deep lobes and the margins of the leaves are deeply toothed.

In the fall, the foliage turns bright scarlet. Once mature, the tree is about 15 feet tall and wide.

Defining characteristics: Leaves are only lobed to half the blade or less, summer foliage color is green. Each leaf has seven lobes.

Atropurpureum

This category contains some of the most popular and recognizable Japanese maples. Basically, if a tree is upright with red foliage and it doesn’t fit under witches’-broom or linearilobum, you’ll find it here.

‘Bloodgood’ is perhaps the most famous cultivar of this category, and you’ll often find it for sale at nurseries and home supply stores. This tree grows about 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide.

The foliage is deep, dark red and the leaves are deeply lobed with five “fingers.”

‘Bloodgood’

By the way, if you want to bring home a ‘Bloodgood,’ Nature Hills Nursery carries them in quart-sized containers.

Defining characteristic: Summer foliage color is red or purple.

Aureum

Trees in the aureum category stand out because of the color of their foliage. The leaves are bright yellow or orange in the spring before turning yellow or lime green during the summer. They then fade to a pale chartreuse in the fall.

‘Golden Moon’ is an extremely popular option. It has foliage with seven or nine sharply pointed lobes, and grows to about 20 feet tall and wide.

‘Summer Gold’ stays under ten feet tall, and features leaves with seven or nine medium lobes.

‘Autumn Moon’ emerges in the spring with lime green leaves with a hint of orange before transitioning to burnt orange in the late summer.

Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

In the autumn, the color becomes bright orange. The tree grows to about 18 feet tall and 15 feet wide when mature.

Defining characteristic: Summer foliage is yellow or orange.

Convexum

What makes this group unique is that the lobes of the leaves are convex, and many of them are deeply lobed.

Photo via Alamy.

‘Trompenburg’ is a perfect example. It has deeply lobed, dark maroon leaves, the lobes of which bend back from the midrib or veins. It stays under 20 feet tall.

Defining characteristic: Convex lobes.

Corallinum

This group features trees that never fail to draw attention with their bright pink foliage in the spring, before transitioning to bright red and then dark red with hints of green, or entirely green, in the summer.

A good example is ‘Deshōjō.’ It has striking bright pink leaves with green centers in the spring before turning bright red and then fading to green. The leaves have five or seven lobes.

Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

‘Amber Ghost’ is another corallinum beauty, starting out bright pink and then fading to more of a melon color. In the summer, it turns green with some pink and red at the tips of the leaves.

In fall, the foliage changes again, becoming bright red and orange. It grows to about 15 feet tall and wide.

Enthusiasts in Japan call these plants “spring trees,” because that’s when the foliage really shines (and when they’re exhibited at bonsai shows).

Defining characteristics: Leaves are only lobed to half the blade or less, spring foliage color is pink or pinkish-red.

Crispum

The crispum group features leaves that are wrinkled or crinkled. Most of the trees stay fairly small, but a few grow to around ten feet tall.

‘Shishigashira’ (or ‘Lion’s Head’ in English) has small, crinkled, deeply-lobed green leaves.

This tree grows fairly tall for the category, to about 15 feet.

Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

‘Krazy Krinkle’ has deeply lobed, wrinkled leaves with heavily toothed margins. This tree stays under ten feet tall.

‘Mikawa Yatsubusa’ is a dwarf maple that stays under four feet tall, with tightly packed and layered green foliage.

Defining characteristic: Wavy or curly leaf margins.

Dissectum

This group is a real stand-out because the foliage looks like lace from far away. Up close, you’ll see that the leaves have long, slender “fingers” that are deeply lobed.

Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

In fact, the leaves are so deeply lobed that each division goes back to the base of the leaf, so they look like separate little leaves.

The leaves usually have heavily toothed margins, adding to the lace-like effect. Most plants have a weeping growth habit, but not all.

Vertrees wrote that ‘Tamukeyama’ was his favorite from this grouping. This tree stays under ten feet tall (usually closer to six feet) and has deep red, almost purple foliage that doesn’t fade in the summer.

In the fall, it turns bright, vibrant red.

‘Tamukeyama’

You can’t find a higher recommendation than that, so if you want to purchase one for your space, head to Nature Hills Nursery for a plant in a quart container.

‘Garnet’ stays under eight feet tall with characteristic dissectum leaves in deep maroon that turn bright garnet red in the fall.

‘Crimson Queen’ is another classic favorite. It has deeply toothed and lobed leaves in dark red, and a cascading growth habit. It stays compact, under ten feet tall.

‘Crimson Queen’

Nature Hills carries a “balled and burlapped” five- to six-foot tree that you can add to your landscape.

Defining characteristic: Deeply divided lobes with heavily toothed margins.

Linearilobum

You could almost mistake the trees in this category for bamboo. That’s because they have extremely narrow, deep lobes that aren’t deeply toothed, as those in the dissectum group are.

Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

‘Koto No Ito’ is a typical example. The foliage on this gorgeous tree starts out red, transitions to apple green in the summer, and gradually becomes vibrant golden yellow in the fall.

It has a narrow, upright growth habit and tops out at ten feet.

Vertrees called out ‘Red Pygmy’ as one of his favorites from this group. This weeping tree grows to just six feet tall and wide, with red spring foliage that transitions to olive green in the summer.

When autumn arrives, the leaves become golden orange.

Defining characteristic: Deeply divided lobes with lightly toothed or smooth margins.

Matsumurae

The trees in this group have leaves with seven to nine lobed leaves, with sinuses that go all the way down to the base.

But instead of having long, thin lobes like linearilobum or dissectum, the lobes are more rounded. The margins are finely serrated.

Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

Vertrees points to ‘Omurayama,’ as a nice example of this category. This variety is a 15-foot-tall tree with a cascading form.

The foliage starts out light green with hints of orange before turning green in the summer. In the fall, the leaves turn red, orange, and yellow.

Often you’ll see this type of Japanese maple called “fern leaf.”

Defining characteristic: Deeply divided lobes with wide sinuses, toothed margins, green summer color.

Marginatum

This group is made up of plants with variegated foliage.

What sets this grouping apart from variegatum, which also features trees with variegated foliage, is that the leaves have an extremely distinct contrast between the coloring on the margin and the center of the leaf.

To see a good example of this particular group, check out ‘Butterfly.’

The foliage on this tree has creamy white margins and a grayish-green center. In the spring, the margins might have some pink hues to them, and in the fall, the margins turn red.

The leaves have five lobes and the tree grows to be about 12 feet tall when mature.

‘Yama Nishiki,’ known as ‘Snow Peak’ in the West, has a distinct variegation with creamy white on the margins and medium green centers. Young leaves look slightly mottled before they form a stark contrast.

While most variegated Japanese maples are green, ‘Shirazz’ is primarily red. In the spring, the leaves are dark red with light pink margins, before turning slightly greenish-red in the center with pink margins. This cultivar grows up to 15 feet tall.

Defining characteristic: Leaf margin contrasts with center.

Palmatum

This group can be a little confusing, since the most common species of Japanese maples is A. palmatum. But in this case, this grouping can include other species as well.

The word “palmatum” is Latin for hand, and that’s what defines this group.

Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

All of the leaves in this group resemble hands in that they have five lobes (and rarely seven), and the sinus extends no further than one-third down the length of the leaf.

Any plant that doesn’t have a secondary characteristic that would make it more suitable for a different grouping, such as red wood, is placed in this category.

‘Diana’ is a good example. This tree stays compact at under three feet. It has green foliage with a pink and white margin.

Defining characteristics: Leaf lobes extend no more than one-third the length of the leaf, with brown or green wood in the winter.

Pinebark

The name of this group says it all. Instead of having the typical smooth bark that most Japanese maples have, the bark on these trees is rough and looks a bit like – you guessed it – pine bark.

Photo via Alamy

The foliage in this group is incredibly varied, since only the bark is used to categorize these plants. Most start out with smooth bark when they are young before developing the characteristically rough bark.

Check out ‘Nishiki Gawa,’ and ‘Arakawa’ to see what this bark looks like.

Defining characteristic: Pine-like, rough bark.

Red Wood

As with pinebark trees, this group is entirely defined by its bark. All of the trees in this group have bright red, coral, yellow, or orange branches.

Photo by Kristine Lofgren.

While this adds a nice bit of color and contrast to a wintry landscape, these plants also tend to suffer from branch dieback.

‘Sango-kaku’ is the one you’ll most commonly see.

‘Sango-kaku’

It has bright coral bark that contrasts with the lime green leaves.

Nature Hills Nursery carries this striking tree in #2 containers.

Defining characteristic: Bark is coral, orange, yellow, or red in winter.

Reticulatum

Trees in this group are defined as having leaves with veins that are a different color than the rest of the leaf. Also known as reticulated maples, this group has some real stand-outs.

For instance, ‘Nathan’ has orangish-red foliage with green veins. ‘Aka-shigitatsu-sawa’ starts out with pale pink leaves with green veins, before transitioning to green and red leaves with green veins.

‘First Ghost’ has creamy white or pale green leaves with deep green veins.

Defining characteristic: Leaf veins contrast with the rest of the leaf.

Sessilifolium

The plants in this group are defined by their lack of petioles. Sessile is a botanical term indicating the lack of a stalk. Instead, the lobes of each leaf have a sort of petiole-like structure that attaches them to the stem.

It doesn’t matter if the tree has variegated foliage or any other particular characteristic. If it lacks petioles, it’s a sessilifolium, also known as stalk-less maple.

Most of these trees are a bit more difficult to find, but there are a few that are gaining in popularity. ‘Beni-hagaromo’ has red foliage that turns purplish-brown in the summer.

Thanks to its heavily toothed margins and typical sessilifolium lobe attachment, the tree looks like it is covered in colorful feathers rather than leaves.

Defining characteristic: Sessile leaves.

Variegatum

Variegated maples either fit into this group or the marginatum group.

To call ‘Ukigumo’ a variegated plant doesn’t do it justice, though. This A. palmatum cultivar, also known as ‘Floating Clouds,’ looks almost ghostly white, with pale whitish-pink foliage that fades gradually to green in the center of each leaf.

But the center is more of a pink and white color with spots of deep green, rather than a solid green. The warmer the climate, the less variegation you’ll see, but in cooler climates, it’s quite striking.

Unlike some Japanese maples, which tend to revert at the slightest provocation, this one tends to stay true.

‘Kumoi Nishiki,’ also known as Siebold’s maple, (A. sieboldianum) has beautifully dappled leaves that feature a blend of creamy white and apple green. This plant stays under 10 feet tall.

‘Peaches and Cream’ stands out because the leaves are creamy white and rose pink in the spring, transitioning to green and white with dark green veins and rose pink margins in the summer.

This one stays under 10 feet tall.

Defining characteristic: Leaf is variegated beyond just the margins.

Witches’-Broom

While most Japanese maple leaves look like hands with a longer middle lobe, the central lobe on witches’-broom trees is short and stumpy, kind of like a hand with the middle finger cut off below the middle knuckle.

‘Carlis Corner Broom’ has bright pink leaves in the spring that shift to dark burgundy in the summer. By fall, the foliage is dark red. ‘Skeeter’s Broom’ has bright red foliage that turns bronze in the fall.

‘Vic’s Broom’ is a dwarf plant that tops out at four feet, but that doesn’t mean its impact in the garden is small.

The small, pale green leaves are bordered with rose red margins. In the fall, the foliage turns bright yellow with bits of orange and red.

Defining characteristic: Middle lobe is short and usually shorter than surrounding lobes.

Making Sense Out of Japanese Maples

This can be a confusing group of plants, with all the different species, foliage, growth habits, and bark colors that are available. But that’s just part of what makes Japanese maples so wonderful.

And with growers working hard to create new types of trees, there are sure to be even more interesting options coming down the line.

That’s why it’s so handy having them grouped into these easy-to-understand categories.

Now, the next time you head to the nursery, you can tell them that you’re looking for the perfect “red bark” to add some winter color to your yard.

If you’re like me, no doubt it’s impossible to pick a favorite, but let us know what type you’re hoping to get your hands on (or already have).

Did this guide help you make sense of the wild and wonderful world of Japanese maples? Let us know in the comments section below! And if you have trouble choosing, be sure to check out some of our favorites in our supplemental guide, “21 of the Best Japanese Maple Varieties.”

And we have some other great guides to Japanese maple care for you to check out next, starting with these:

• How to Propagate Japanese Maples from Seed
• How and When to Fertilize Japanese Maple Trees
• 13 of the Best Companion Plants for Japanese Maple Trees

What is remarkable about Japanese maple? Planting, care and propagation of plants

Maintenance

• Japanese red maple
• Brief description of the most requested varieties
• Japanese maple planting and care
• Japanese maple seeds
• Japanese fan maple
• Japanese maple photo
• Japanese maple buy

Leaves are perhaps the most underestimated feature of plants. But it is the leaves of the Japanese maple that are the keys to the successful design of your garden.

Japanese red maple

Japanese maple (Acer Japonicum) and Dlanical maple (Acer Palmatum) – highly suitable Listfish trees and bushes (in culture) ROD from IPPOY and Korya. These two species, as well as a variety of the second – fan maple (Acer palmatum Dissectum) – create group Japanese maples . Miniature maple varieties grow well in Japan but can be easily grown in our climate. The most resistant is the green-leaved maple and its red-leaved varieties ‘Atropurpureum’ and ‘Bloodgood’.

Japanese maples grow very slowly and usually reach several meters in height. In Japan, the largest tree at the age of 100 years, reaches 10 meters in height and 40 centimeters in trunk diameter. Usually Japanese maple and palmate maple grow up to 8 m, and fan maple – no more than 2-3 m in height.

When 200 years ago these plants began to be imported from Japan, which had been growing there for centuries, European botanists were stunned by their incredible diversity. Europeans originally christened them with a Latin name – Acer polymorphum . And from this group, perhaps, this Japanese maple was one of the first that was brought to our region. This type of maple has almost round leaves , most of them are up to 15 cm long and consist of 7-, 9-, 11-, 13 feather-like lobes. They are very similar to the human hand. Because of the shape of the leaves, this maple has another name – hauchiwa-Kaede . There are four main varieties Japanese maples: – a typical Japanese maple A. japonicum, in which the shares are connected almost together and the leaf seems to be solid. Other maples: A. japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’, A. japonicum ‘Dissectum’, A. japonicum ‘Vitifolium’.

Japanese maple looks very impressive during flowering in May. Its flowers are red or yellow-green, large, up to 15 mm in diameter. But the most impressive tree is in autumn, when Leaves take on an enchanting color. In direct sunlight, the leaves turn red and purple, shading into bright orange and red. They look stunning! Japanese Maple , Maple Katsura (Acer Palmatum ‘Katsura’, Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Katsura’), Maple Butterfly (Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’, Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Butterfly’).

Brief description of the most popular varieties:

Japanese Maple Senkaki is an attractive and compact tree, a popular variety that is sure to be appreciated by lovers of Japanese maples. Tree height – up to two meters, suitable for growing in large pots and containers. Leaves lobed, usually with five lobes, turning bright orange in autumn.

Japanese Maple Senkaki (photo):

Maple Garnet – incredibly beautiful maple, you can look at it endlessly, especially in the autumn season. Average height maple is four meters. The main highlight is the unusual spreading crown, as well as the color of the leaves in the autumn months, they turn carmine red.

Maple Garnet (photo):

Japanese maple planting and care

Every gardener will be able to grow a very beautiful Japanese maple. You only need to choose the right place to plant, and also spend a little time caring for it.

Landing. Be sure to select the correct landing site. The ideal place for them would be sunny or partially shaded, protected from the winds. They tolerate some shade but are prettier when grown in full sun. Yes, those trees are do not like transplants. Once you have planted Japanese maples, they should not be repotted because it is very easy to damage their delicate roots.

Japanese maples frost resistant. Concerning soil requirements , they should not be planted in wet soils. Japanese maples are sensitive plants. The soil must contain a high proportion of humus and have slightly acid reaction . If the soil is sandy, then it needs to be enriched with fertile garden soil. Due to the fact that the roots of these plants grow close to the ground, it is necessary to level the place where they are planted well. Thus, you will be able to create thermal insulation layer , which will perform its protective function both in winter and in summer. It is also necessary to cover young maple seedlings in winter as these plants may suffer from frost. Also, in early spring, shelter will contribute to a not too fast development of their kidneys.

Japanese Maple ideal for planting in containers . And all thanks to his compact growth . But for the winter, plants in tubs should be moved to a frost-free room. It grows slowly and is also very picturesque. Besides being easy to grow, Japanese Maple will provide you with a lot of joy in summer and autumn with its beautiful leaves that change color with the onset of cold weather. Expect fireworks of fiery red, brown, yellow and orange leaves.

Care. After planting the young maple must be fed . The first top dressing is a month after planting, then they are fed once every four weeks. Suitable compound fertilizer and compost. After the winter period, be sure to remove frozen branches. Gardeners do not recommend cutting tree crowns, because Japanese maple pleases exactly with its natural beauty. Also, don’t forget Mulch the soil before the start of the winter season. In hot weather be sure to keep an eye on the soil, maple does not like dry soil . Sometimes the leaves of the plant are also sprayed, do it in hot weather. Maple pest – gall mite . Watch the leaves carefully, if you see something suspicious, it is better to remove the leaf immediately .

Japanese maple seeds

Many varieties of maple seeds fall in autumn, but there are varieties whose seeds can be collected in summer. The seeds are medium in size, most often brown in color, they are often called “helicopters” by the people, because they very slowly fall to the ground, and at the same time rotate. There are some difficulties when growing maple from seeds. It all depends on the chosen variety. It is easiest to grow maples, in which the seeds fall in spring or summer.

After you collected seeds , they need to be placed in the cold. It is best to put the seeds in an airtight bag beforehand (zippered lunch bags are suitable). The collected seeds are placed in the refrigerator. Each variety has its own temperature , the best option is 3-5 degrees Celsius. check the seed bag constantly to make sure there is no condensation or excess moisture on it. Seeds are taken out after 120 days. Seeds of some varieties can be planted after 90 cold days. Germinated seeds can only be planted in small containers when a second layer of leaves has appeared on a small sprout. Now you can plant the tree in the ground.

Japanese fan maple

Fan maple is a marvelous decoration of every garden or park. It is an excellent compact tree that impresses with the beauty of its leaves. Fan maple is one of the varieties of Japanese maple, because the historical Homeland trees – Japan, and also grows naturally in China and Korea. The tree is very compact, height is about eight meters. Crown very unusual, dense, spherical. Sometimes it has several trunks. The leaves of the fan maple are very beautiful and large, the average length is 12 centimeters and the width is four centimeters. The leaf is divided into lobes. Blooms mainly in spring, small flowers in inflorescences, appear later Lionfish.

Garden use. Japanese Maple will look very good in a private garden as well as in city parks. Its interesting and very bright leaves attract attention. You can make it the main accent on your territory, because in autumn it is very difficult not to notice this tree. Japanese maple is very effectively combined with large stones or boulders, and even with small pebbles, which can be scattered near the tree root. The canopy provides shade so you can plant near the tree ferns or other shade-tolerant plants. Landscape designers with good taste will be able to create very unusual compositions using maple and coniferous plants , as well as combining maples and flowering shrubs . The main thing is not to overshadow this beautiful tree!

Japanese maple photo

Japanese maple buy

You can buy Japanese maple in our Florium store

Published: 27. 10.2021

Tags: palmate maple Japanese maple Japanese maples

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Japanese maple: photo, planting and care

Contents

• General information with a description of the varieties
• Planting and care
• Reproduction
• Maple in the garden

In summer and autumn, they fascinate with the beauty of their leaves, and in winter – with an unusual crown structure, with a great many thin branches.

General information with cultivar descriptions

Japanese maples include palmate maple (Acer palmatum), fan maple (Dissectum), and Japanese maple (Acer japonicum), as well as numerous varieties bred on their basis by breeders.

As the name suggests, Japanese maples are native to the Land of the Rising Sun. All of them are distinguished by decorative carved leaves of purple and bright orange colors and shades, and a beautiful crown structure.

The sizes of Japanese maples, depending on the species, are from 2-3 meters to 8 meters in height. Palm maples are taller, and fan maples are short. The flowers are not large, have a yellow-green or red color, which depends on the variety. Lionfish seeds grow from the flowers, which scatter over long distances, growing into new trees. Many Japanese maples are distinguished by their decorative crown and bark. Due to these features, the tree becomes a real decoration of the garden or greenhouse.

In addition to the basic varieties, there are many hybrid forms bred in Japan. Each of these forms has a name that conveys the peculiarity of the variety, the main thing is to understand them correctly.

• Shirasawa maple (Acer shirasawanum) is one of the smallest, about 1.5 meters high. Its leaves are wide, with a border around the edges, yellow-orange in color.
• ‘Bloodgood’ has a unique inky black leaf color.
• Beni Kava variety has bright scarlet, light leaves and fiery red, ruby ​​bark.
• Katsura variety has red young leaves that turn green in summer and golden in autumn.
• ‘Nicholsonii’ has green leaves in summer and brick red leaves in autumn.
• ‘Aconitifolium’ – multi-stemmed, with curved branches and dark red foliage.
• Variety “Mikawa yatsubusa” is distinguished by its small size – up to 1.5 meters, dense, squat crown. Its leaves consist of thin, needle-shaped lobes, bright green in summer and orange-red in autumn.
• “Shino Buga Oka” variety is not tall, from 1 meter to 1.2-1.3 meters in height. The plant is very spreading, with ornamental leaves that are bright green in summer and yellow-orange in autumn.

Planting and care

In the wild, Japanese maple grows well in humus-rich, slightly acidic soil. Prefers semi-shady places and a stable level of humidity.

Japanese maple does not like strongly alkaline soils, places with stagnant moisture and poor water permeability. However, drying out and the scorching rays of the daylight also have a bad effect on the decorativeness of its leaves. More than others, varieties of Japanese maples with two-color or bordered leaves suffer from direct sunlight, such varieties should be planted in partial shade.

Best of all, the decorative properties of these plants appear in abundant, diffused light. In a park or garden, they will feel good in places where the sun is in the morning and in the evening, and where it does not look during the day. The choice of a place for planting maple is facilitated by the fact that it is not afraid of drafts.

It must be remembered that Japanese maples are heat-loving plants, they do not tolerate spring frosts that damage young leaves. Due to the low frost resistance in Central Russia, trees need to be wrapped with covering material for the winter, for example, garden fleece.

In areas with a mild climate in winter, maple branches must be freed from adhering wet snow to protect them from breakage, fan maple is especially affected by snow. But when the branches are covered with ice after a “hot rain” or a thaw, they should not be touched – they will break.

In summer, especially during drought, maple trees need to be watered abundantly and often, spraying the leaves in the morning or evening. In conditions of lack or excess of moisture, under the influence of dry and hot wind, under the scorching sun, the tree will experience real stress, which will make itself felt by drying the tips of the leaves and dropping the leaves.

If this happens, the maple begins to be watered more often, sprayed, and top dressing is canceled. These measures will help bring it back to life, and new leaves will appear on it even in summer.

In spring and autumn, the soil around the trunk should be mulched with leaf humus, tree bark, garden compost, wood chips. Mulching is of great importance for a tree – protection from drying out of the soil in summer, protection of roots from freezing in winter, additional fertilizer all year round.

To keep the trunk from rotting, do not put organic materials used for mulching next to it.

In spring, fertilizer granules are applied to the soil under the tree, and only then it is covered with mulch from humus or compost, and sprinkled with colored chips on top. Spring top dressing with slow-acting fertilizers will be enough for the maple for the whole year, nitrogenous fertilizers are categorically contraindicated for it.

If the maple grows on poor soil, it must be fed twice a year with long-acting minerals – in spring and summer.

As for pruning, it is carried out only on mature and old thickened trees that have lost their former decorative effect. They need pruning in order to make the crown more transparent, lighter, and open to air and sunlight – these measures will be an excellent prevention of fungal diseases. Pruning should be done during the dormant period – in early spring or late autumn, when there are no leaves on the tree.

Young maples do not need pruning, the trees grow very slowly and form a beautiful crown naturally.

Propagation

Japanese maple is propagated by seeds both in natural conditions and in cultivation. Seeds must be fresh, they are harvested as they ripen, most often in October.

Seeds for stratification are placed in dry sand and removed to a cool place. In the spring, they are sown in a container, pre-treated with growth-stimulating agents.

Seedlings do not grow too much over the summer, but already in this state, strong seedlings can be separated from weak ones. Weak ones are removed, and strong ones are sent for the winter to a cool room with a positive temperature. In the spring they are transplanted into tubs or pots, and when they reach a height of 30 centimeters or more, they are planted in open ground, in a tub or in a greenhouse for a permanent place. If the maple is to grow in a tub, the soil in it should be rich in organic fertilizers.

Another type of propagation of Japanese maples is grafting cuttings onto a strong stock of a similar type, for example, palmate maple.

Maple in the garden

In regions with cold climates, Japanese maples are grown in tubs, which are brought into a cool room for the winter. Growing maple trees in a tub has another advantage – the ability to move them, if necessary, in the shade, in the sun or in a place protected from wind, hail and rain.

Since the trees are stunted, in Japan, tubs with them are placed on a stand so that their wonderful beauty is better seen.

Needless to say, an ornamental tree goes well with other garden inhabitants – shrubs, trees, flowers, ornamental grasses. The tree will decorate with itself any corner of the garden – a reservoir, a rockery, a stone Japanese garden.

Maples, whose leaves become most decorative in autumn, will look good next to autumn flowers – chrysanthemums, oaks, asters. They can be planted next to a tree in order to finally admire the colorful and bright beauty of the autumn garden.

Japanese maples make good neighbors for low-growing evergreen shrubs after shearing, such as boxwood, juniper, and ornamental conifers.

In extreme cases, you can do without flowers and shrubs – just cover the ground around the painted with small gravel or chips.

description and varieties of red maple, planting and care + photo

Amateur gardeners and landscape designers are sensitive to rare ornamental plants. Japanese maple can become the pride of every garden. The natural range of its distribution is limited to the islands of Japan, South Korean coasts and the Russian island of Kunashir. It grows more often in mountainous areas.

Growing this tree crop requires certain knowledge and precautions. How to properly plant and care for a heat-loving plant.

• Planting
• Reproduction

Care

• Preparation for winter
• Care in the spring

Japanese maple in landscape design

Description of Japanese maple

in natural landscapes – sheet -falling woods or bushes with a height of heights. The bark and branches are reddish-gray and smooth.

Leaves like our maple – cut up to half the diameter into several slices (from 7 to 11), large (coverage up to 15 centimeters). Depending on the variety, the dissection of the leaves may be different, sometimes they are strongly pinnate. Petioles, on which leaves grow, 3-5 cm long, can be pubescent.

Due to the magnificent color of the leaves, the maple of this species has become so popular, the red flame in the middle of the garden, the crowns of the Japanese handsome hover. Some of its species have purple-red foliage throughout the growing season, others change color from green to yellow and crimson.

Small bright flowers appear before the leaves in spring. Of these, wings are formed. These are seed-fruits up to 3 centimeters long, with the help of which plants of this genus reproduce.

Oriental maples are grown in open ground and in special tubs.

Species and interesting varieties

Japanese maple has several subspecies, and breeders have bred amazing varieties that no one can pass by indifferently. They differ in the form of a tree and leaves, exactingness to the conditions of detention. There can be both tall specimens and short ones.

It should be noted that culturally bred varieties are much more picturesque and are much more common than basic natural varieties. In addition to the main species described above, others are also grown.

Fan-shaped (pallet-shaped)

The original shape of the tree has a spreading crown with beautiful, carved leaves. The long-lobed leaves are lacy and remain golden yellow or red throughout the season. Having thrown off foliage, this plant remains a decoration of the garden, thanks to graceful branches. It blooms red in June, many varieties have been created on its basis.

Shirasawa Maple

A rare variety up to 15 meters high, there are shrubs of a short outline. The leaf plate is not strongly dissected, large. A prominent representative of this species is Aureum. This shrub grows up to 4 meters high, has a yellow-orange leaf with a border around the edge. A fairly winter-hardy variety, but they like to cultivate it in tub conditions.

Aconitoleaf

Gorgeous maple, almost completely dissected leaves are green in summer. In autumn the tree turns crimson.

Orange Dream

Yellowish-green leaves with a red border turn to red-orange. Orange Dream grows fast and is tall.

Bloodgood

Very ornamental shrub with openwork outlines of dark red leaves, almost inky. Even in the shade does not lose the dark color of the foliage.

Mikawa yatsubusa

Height 1.5 meters, bush dense and squat. The leaves are needle-shaped, green in spring, scarlet in autumn.

Shaina

SONY DSC

One and a half meters in 10 years – this tree grows to such a height. It is distinguished by a dense bushy crown, its leaves are deeply cut. When it turns blood red, it becomes especially attractive. Shaina is planted in containers, decorating terraces and verandas, halls of houses with them.

Kiyohime

Japanese red maple variety reaches 1.8 meters in maturity. The green leaves are edged with red and cut. The saturation of the color retains in partial shade.

Beni Kawa

Light leaves, original red bark.

Dissectum Garnet

Thinly dissected conifer-like leaves are green in spring, becoming reddish-purple or orange-yellowish by autumn. A very beautiful, attractive appearance gives the tree a huge crown coverage, almost twice its height. Such drooping varieties of shrubs should be placed near ponds or arbors.

Aka shigitatsu sawa

Tree 3 meters high or so. This plant has peculiar pink or red dissected leaves. Likes semi-shade.

Wilson’s Pink Dwarf

Fan maple not very hardy. The height of the shrub in adult form is 2.5 meters, the coverage is less than 1 meter. The leaves grow on red branches and are orange in color.

Shirazz

Deeply cut green leaves with a pink or red border give a spectacular look. By the end of the season, it changes color to purple.

Where to buy seedlings, where and how to plant

Do not buy Japanese maple seeds online from unknown sellers. It is advisable to come to a nursery or shop that sells certified trees and buy a tree.

It is better to buy seedlings in spring or autumn; you need to make sure that the bush is not damaged. Should be planted immediately.

Japanese maple varieties love diffused shade and permeability of the soil. It is not necessary to choose too alkaline soils and cultivate the land with lime.

The soil must be sufficiently fertile or slightly acidic, always loose.

Planting

• Dig a hole twice the size of the plant’s root system;
• Pour drainage into the hole, then humus or compost with peat;
• Moisten and straighten the roots, put a tree, sprinkle with earth and water;
• Mulch around tree trunks to retain moisture.

Propagation

Produced by seeds, both in nature and under cultural conditions. Seed material must be fresh.

• Before planting, the seeds are stratified by placing them in sand (it should not be wet) and kept in a cold room all winter;
• In the spring planted in containers with special soil, can be treated with growth stimulants;
• In autumn, the strongest shoots are left to winter in a cool place in the same container, where the temperature is always positive;
• Transplant shoots into separate pots next spring;
• Seedlings that have reached 30 centimeters are planted in a permanent place – in open ground, a tub or a pot.

Japanese red maples can be propagated vegetatively by grafting cuttings onto palmate rootstock. This procedure often ends in failure.

Care

Domestic gardeners plant undersized varieties of Japanese maple. If it will grow in a container, then it must be fed regularly with mineral compounds. Suitable fertilizer for heather crops. It will also need more frequent watering.

Plant roots do not like standing water, they can rot. Therefore, watering should be plentiful, but timely.

Rejuvenating pruning should be carried out on old and dense trees. It is done in the fall, after the leaves have fallen. Sanitary removal of broken and diseased branches is carried out every year in the spring. It is also necessary for the prevention of fungus.

Winterizing

In the summer you should start winterizing your maple tree. Finish feeding, watering and loosening. In late autumn, remove all leaves from the bush, and after the first freezing, spray the branches with a weak (3%) copper-containing solution.

In the northern regions of Russia, it is still safer to plant this crop in tubs and bring it to a cool room for the winter period. Wintering is also practiced right in pots laid on their side in the garden, in a shallow trench.

In the middle lane they practice covering for the winter with garden non-woven material. Well, if the winter is snowy, then the maple can survive it stably.

Spring care

When spring arrives, you need to awaken the tub plant so that it adapts and grows faster. To do this, after the frost has left, on warm days, the tree is shed with plenty of water.

Attention! Tender young leaves will inevitably burn in the sun in the spring. To prevent this, the potted plant is removed in partial shade or covered, just like an open ground plant, with a light covering material.

Japanese maple in landscaping

The short stature allows the plant to grow successfully in tubs. The advantage of this method is that the container can be moved from one place to another, saving from the sun or put away for the winter, and also placed in different parts of the garden from time to time.

Pots are also placed on stands to make them more visible. Needless to say, a slow growing tree is used to create bonsai. They are formed by special trimming, using wire and other techniques.

Maple dwarf’s home location is good for indoor air. It moisturizes, gives oxygen and pleases with flowering.

Red maple is an excellent partner for other garden plants in the garden. It does not have a very powerful root system, and does not oppress nearby cultures.

Combines with shrubs, flowering plants and cereals. The exclusive appearance of the garden gives the neighborhood in the autumn, when the green leaves of other trees stand next to the purple and orange caps of the “Japanese”.

Japanese-style stony gardens, rockery, rock garden, building roof, lawn – maple will be the central figure everywhere. These beauties can also be planted along walking paths.

The surroundings and banks of small artificial reservoirs can be decorated with a picturesque bush planted nearby.

10 types of Japanese maple | Horticulture

Acer palmatum ‘Ornatum’

El Japanese maple has a unique quality: is able to surprise anyone at any time of the year . It becomes beautiful in spring when its leaves sprout, covering its branches with paint; in summer it explodes with life, becoming as beautiful as possible; In autumn it is a real spectacle, putting on an autumn dress, and in winter we can contemplate its trunk and its extended branches. This is one of the most successful plants, not only for its beauty, but also for its ease of cultivation and care.

It is not surprising that new varieties appear from time to time, causing more than one and more than two to want to purchase them, although we know that the climate in which we live is not the most suitable. By the way, Do you know how many species of Japanese maple exist? I’ll tell you: many. There are more than a thousand varieties alone. . You can see ten of them below.

Index