Acer palmatum - Japanese Maple (Aceraceae) ------Acer palmatum is the quintessential small, deciduous low, grafted onto a single-trunked standard, or multi- tree of Japanese gardens. Refined and delicate, it is one trunked of the finest, most exquisite small trees for texture, -green bark when young for green-foliaged types, form, foliage, and autumn color. otherwise brown bark for red-foliaged types and eventually turning to brown-gray for all types FEATURES USAGE Form Function -small ornamental tree -focal point, specimen, foundation, entranceway, or -the species form may mature at raised planter small tree 20' tall x 20' wide, but the Texture numerous cultivars are always -fine texture in foliage and when bare much smaller -thick density in foliage and when bare (except in -growth habit is variable - from youth, when it is much more open, or very old age, upright-rounded, horizontal-vased, when some forms may become open again) or weeping-pendulous, depending upon cultivar, and Assets often becoming densely twiggy with age -many cultivars are available that differ in foliage -slow growth rate color, cutleaf character, and growth habit Culture -layered branching and dense twigginess contribute to -full sun to full shade, but usually best in partial sun to the ultra-fine texture with age partial shade -generally adaptable to shady conditions or sunny -prefers rich, moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soils, locations but is only moderately adaptable to more adverse -usually has vibrant autumn color conditions, but particularly sensitive to drought and Liabilities heat -slow growth -propagated by cuttings grafted onto rootstock, rooted -expensive (resulting from slow growth rate at the stem cuttings, or seeds nursery, and high demand) -prone to several diseases, including Verticillium wilt, -occasional dieback or cosmetic damage may occur due stem cankers, and pests (including cosmetic leaf to various pests, diseases, stresses, winter freezes, or damage from Japanese beetles); also prone to seasonal spring frost damage leaf scorch that occurs with drought Habitat -abundantly available, in both container and B&B -Zones 5 to 8 forms, with many cultivars -Native to Japan -the shallow and fibrous root system quickly regenerates and spreads upon transplanting, but is SELECTIONS subject to drought stress, even in established trees Alternates sometimes prone to winter dieback at the stem tips or -specimen small trees (Acer pensylvanicum, Cornus frost damage in early spring asperfolia var. drummondii [tree form], Crataegus Foliage viridis 'Winter King', Viburnum lentago [tree form], -opposite arrangement; with etc.) green, bronzed, red, or purple -red-foliaged small trees or large shrubs (Malus emergent leaves, depending 'Prairifire', Malus 'Purple Prince', Prunus x cistena 'Big upon cultivar Cis', Prunus cerasifera 'Mount St. Helens', etc.) -each of the 5 to 11 (often 7) -small trees or large shrubs with good autumn color, lobes is narrow, serrated, and ornamental branching, and relatively fine texture with a pointed end (Euonymus alatus 'Compactus', Parrotia persica [tree -prominent palmate venation form], Viburnum prunifolium [tree form], etc.) -autumn color may be pale yellowish-green, vivid Cultivars - Variants - Related species orange, brick red, or fluorescent flaming red, -many Japanese Maple cultivars have crimson-red- depending upon cultivar and sun exposure purple foliage in spring (most turn to green-purple or Flowers bronze in summer), deeply cut leaves (dissected types), -clusters of red to purplish inflorescences in late May are dwarfs, or have a combination of these traits; some and early June are often hidden by the foliage are pendulous to cascading, and all are slow-growing Fruits and fine-textured; two representative cultivars that are -2 samaras per stalk having incurved wings, common are noted below, although many more exist: in pendulous clusters from the stems, often -Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood' - best for holding its red- becoming red by June and July, and purple foliage color all spring and summer when maturing to reddish-brown in Oct., but often placed in full sun, lightening to a vibrant red-orange in sparsely borne or absisced by this point autumn, and maturing to 15' x 15' Twigs -Acer palmatum var. dissectum atropurpureum - -green, brown, red, or purplish, depending upon dissected foliage is dark red when new, fading to cultivar, with the winter buds almost valvate bronze by late summer, having a mounding and Trunk twisting habit with bright orange autumn color, -the specimen may be single-trunked and branching maturing at 8' x 10'. One of the more hardy cultivars.