Scientific Name:
Acer palmatum
Atropurpureum Group
Pronunciation:
AY-sur pal-MAY-tum
Common Name:
red-leaf Japanese maple
Family Name:
Sapindaceae
Plant Type:
Tree - deciduous
Key ID Features:
Stems new growth purple; leaves opposite, most blades orbicular, 4-10cm wide, palmately veined with 5-7 serrate lobes, simple, red-purple (some cvs. turn dark green in full sun by mid-summer). Winter ID: buds, ovoid, have light brown hairs on a papery sheath that extends halfway up.
Habit:
Spreading, Upright
Form:
Round
Texture:
Medium - fine
Mature Height:
5 - 7m
Mature Spread:
7 - 10m
Growth Rate:
Slow
Origin:
Garden origin, S.E. Asia / Japan / China
Hardiness Rating:
Zone 6: (-23 to -18 °C)
Exposure:
Part sun/part shade
Soil/Growing Medium:
Acidic, Well-drained
Water Use:
Moderate
Landscape Uses:
Fall interest, Specimen plant, Summer interest
Additional Info:
Google. Foliage of some cultivars may turn dark green in summer in full sun, and A. 'Shindeshojo' has bright pinkish-red spring foliage.
Leaf Morphology:
Form:
Simple, Lobed
Arrangement:
Opposite
Texture/Venation:
Soft flexible, Palmate venation
Surfaces:
Glabrous
Colour in Summer:
Dark-green, Red, Dark-red
Colour in Fall:
Orange, Red
Shapes:
Ovate
Apices:
Acuminate
Bases:
Hastate
Margins:
Double serrate
Additional Info:
Spectacular fall colour, 4 - 12cm long
Inflorescence Type:
Cyme, Corymb-like
Flower Morphology:
Flowers perfect
Number Of Petals:
5
Corolla Shape:
Rotate/stellate
Ovary Position:
Superior
Colour (petals):
Not showy, Dark-red
Flower Scent:
None
Flower Time at Peak:
Apr
Fruit Type:
Samara, Schizocarp
Fruit Colour:
Dark-red
Fruiting Time:
Sep, Oct
Additional Info:
Schizocarps split into samara-like mericarps after dispersal
Bark Morphology:
Smooth, Lightly fissured
Bark or Stem Colour:
Grey, Red
Leaf Bud Type:
Ovoid
Leaf Scar Shape:
Crescent shaped
Propagation:
Seed, Softwood cuttings, Grafting
Pest Susceptibility:
Dieback, Wilt
Course(s):
- AARB 1012
- HORT 1155
Location(s):
- (BUG) BUG garden : 153
- (CGW) Community Garden West
- (HPZ) Horticulture PlaZa : cvs. Dissectum Shojo Shidare, Shojo Nomura
- (TFL) Turf Field Lab