Japanese Maple

Soils

Japanese maple like moist well-drained soil, avoid heavy wet soils.

Location

Can grow in full sun but prefers partial shade because the leaves can burn in full sun especially if the soil becomes dry.

Annual Growth Rate

Japanese maples are slow growing

pH TOLERANCE

Japanese maples like acidic to neutral soils.

Root Structure

Flat shallow sensitive root system

Potential

Plant Japanese maples into sunny small garden spaces, courtyards or cottage gardens. They also work well in pots.

Annual Pruning

Japanese maple need pruning to remove dead branches, or to shape. Any pruning should take place in the winter when the plant is dormant.

Characteristics

Beautiful deciduous large shrubs or small trees with spring flowers and outstanding leaf colouring.

Japanese maples are one of the most loved plants in the UK. They are slow growing and have many varieties that can mature in size mostly from 3 to 6 metres tall, some taller.

The star of these beautiful Japanese maples are the leaves, usually 5 to 7 lobed, sometimes more, they appear in the spring in various shades, depending on which variety. Examples:

‘Atropurpureum’ has bright red leaves turning dark red in the autumn.
‘Bloodgood’ Has deep red, turning bright red in the autumn.
‘Dissectum’ has fresh green leaves that turn yellow and orange in the autumn
‘Fireglow’ has deep purple leaves that turn scarlet in the autumn.
‘Osakazuki’ leaves open red before turning green throughout the summer and then turn orange to bright crimson in the autumn.