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Acer palmatum

Japanese Maple

Pronunciation
A-cer pal-MA-tum
Pronunciation Audio
Family
Genus
Nativity

China, Korea, Japan

Growth Habit

Compact, rounded form with single or multistemmed trunks; 8 to 35 foot tall varies with cultivar. Medium to fast growth in youth, slower with age.

Hardiness
5
Culture

Full sun for leaf coloration of cultivars but tolerates partial shade. Moist, well-drained soil. Frost damage to new spring foliage can occur.

Landscape Use

Focal point specimen. Architectural, sculptural trees.

Foliage

Opposite, simple, 2 to 4 inches long; deeply lobed and sometimes seemingly palmately compound. Color varies with cultivar, green to red. Fall color can be yellow, red, or purple depending on the cultivar

Buds

Lacking true terminal bud. Paired, valvately scaled, small buds are surrounded at the base by a row of hairs.

Bark

Young stems variously colored, older stems light gray in color.

Flower

Umbellate, red or purple, small.

Fruit

Samara .5 to .75 inches long, green or reddish in color. Color depends on the cultivar.

Propagation

Cuttings difficult to root; cultivars are normally grafted. Relatively easy from seed.

Pests
None serious.
Cultivars

'Atropurpureum' - Leaves reddish purple but usually fade. 5-7 lobes.

'Bloodgood' - Holds red-purple leaf color better than most.

'Burgundy Lace' - Lobes finely divided lacy. Reddish purple color.

'Dissectum' - Leaves have 7-11 finely cut lobes.

'Sango Kaku' - Bright-red twigs in winter.

'Tamukeyama', 'Butterfly', 'Seriyou'.The list of cultivars is seemingly endless. See J.D. Vertress's Japanese Maples.

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