Japanese Maple

Plant Characteristics

Lifespan:	⌛	perennial
Origin:	✈	[[Origin::Japan, Korea]]

Cultivation

Sunset Zones:		2-10, 12, 14-24, 31-41

Scientific Names

Sapindaceae >

Acer >

palmatum >

Read about Japanese Maple in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture

Acer palmatum, Thunb. (A. polymorphum, Sieb. & Zucc.). Japan Maple. Shrub or small tree, 20 ft.: branchlets, petioles and peduncles glabrous: lvs. 5-9-lobed or divided, 2-4 in. across, glabrous, lobes oblong, acuminate, doubly serrate or incised: corymbs few-flo., glabrous, erect, with small purple fls.: fr. small, glabrous; the wings spreading at an obtuse angle. Japan. S.Z. 1:145,146. S.I.F. 1:68. F.E. 19, pi. 92 (habit).— A.F.12:11. J.H.S. 29:340.—This species and A. japonicum are known as Japanese maples. They are extremely handsome shrubs of dense though graceful habit, and with elegant foliage, beautiful especially in spring for its delicate shades of green and red, and again in autumn, when the lvs. assume the most striking tints. Some of the more vigorous-growing varieties, like atropurpureum, dissectum, ornatum, and the typical forms, are hardy even in New England, while most of the variegated forms are more tender. They grow best in partly shaded situations and in well-drained, rich soil. There are many varieties, mostly intro. from Japanese gardens, of which the following are some of the best. They may be divided into 5 groups, representing various degrees of dissection of the lvs.: (1) A. palmatum var. Thunbergii, Pax (A. palmatum, Thunb.). Fig. 93, e. Lvs. deeply 5-9-lobed or cleft; lobes oblong-lanceolate, coarsely and doubly serrate or incised. Var. atropurpureum, Van Houtte (var. nigrum, Hort.). Fig. 93, c. Lvs. dark purple, coarsely doubly serrate. F.S. 12:1273. J.H.S. 29:342. F.E. 14, pl. 42,32:767 (habit). Vur. sanguineum, Carr., is lighter red than var. atropurpureum. I.H. 14:526. Var. bicolor, Koch (var. atropurpureum variegatum, Hort.). Lvs. dark purple, with large carmine blotches, the lobes half purple and half carmine. Var. aureum, Nichols. Lvs. yellow. Var. versicolor, Schwerin (A. polymorphum septemlobum versicolorum, Van Houtte). Lvs. bright green, with large white spots. F.S. 14:1498. Var. roseo-marginatum, Schwerin (A. polymorphum roseum marginatum, Pynaert). Lvs. small, deeply cut, with narrow pink margin. F.S. 15:1566. I.H. 28:430. Var. crispum, Andre. Lvs. small, with involute margins; of distinctly upright growth. I.H. 17:43. (2) Var. septemlobum, Koch (A. septemlobum, Thunb.). Lvs. mostly 7-lobed; lobes broad, equally doubly serrate. Gt. 42, p. 680. J.H.S. 29:345. Var. rubrum, Schwerin. Lvs. large, deep red when young, becoming almost green later. Var. reticulatum, Andre. Fig. 93, a. Lvs. greenish yellow, with green margin and dark green veins. I.H. 17:18. Var. tricolor, Nichols. Lvs. with red, pink and white spots. (3) Var. linearilobum, Sieb. & Zucc. (var. scolopendrifolium, Hort., not Schwerin). Lvs. divided nearly to the base; lobes linear, remotely serrate or nearly entire. Gt. 42, p. 681. Var. atrolineare, Schwerin (var. linearilobum atropurpureum, Nichols.; var. pinnatifolium atropurpureum, Hort.). Lvs. dark red. (4) Var. dissectum, Koch (A. polymorphum var. decompositum, Sieb. & Zucc. A. polymorphum palmatifidum, Van Houtte). Fig. 93, f. Lvs. divided to the base in 5-9 pinnatifid lobes. S.Z. 1:146. F.S. 21:2156. J.H.S. 29:346. M.D.G. 1902:209. F.W. 1875: G.C. III. 31:46 (suppl.). Var. ornatum, Carr. (var. dissectum atropurpureum, Hort.). Fig. 93, d. Lvs. deeply cut deep red. I.H.17:46. R.H.1867:391. F.E.,pl.49 (habit). Var. Frederici-Guilelmi, Carr. (var. pinnatifidum roseo-pictum, Lem.). Lvs. finely cut, green, with white and pink spots. I.H. 14:523. R.H. 1867:391. (5) Var. sessilifolium, Maxim. Lvs. deeply cut, with very short petioles. G.C. II. 16.—Of little decorative value. The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.

More information about this species can be found on the genus page.

Cultivation

Japanese Maple calendar?
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Propagation

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Pests and diseases

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Cultivars

• 'Atropurpeum' - Red Japanese Maple
• 'Bloodgood'
• 'Bonfire'
• 'Burgundy Lace'
• 'Butterfly'
• 'Crimson Queen'
• 'Dissectum'
• 'Ever Red' ('Dissectum Viridis') Laceleaf Japanese Maple
• 'Filiferum Purpureum'
• 'Garnet'
• 'Ornatum' - Red Laceleaf Japanese Maple.
• 'Oshio Beni'
• 'Sango Kaku' ('Senkaki'). Coral Bark Maple

Gallery

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  photo 1

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  Acer palmatum var. dissectum

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  photo 3

External links

• w:Japanese Maple. Some of the material on this page may be from Wikipedia, under the Creative Commons license.
• Japanese Maple QR Code (Size 50, 100, 200, 500)