Transcript Japanese Maple - Instructor

Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
• Habitat
– native to Japan, China, Korea
– zone 5 for many, while other
selections are only reliable to
zone 6 or warmer
– an understory tree in its
natural setting
• Habit and Form
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small deciduous tree 15' to 25'
shape can be rounded to irregular
habit and form is variable since
most cultivated plants are various
cultivars
texture fine to medium
growth rate is slow
Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
• Summer Foliage
– opposite, 2" to 5" long,
medium green color
– 5, 7 or 9 lance-shaped
lobes, palmately arranged
– excellent quality summer
foliage
• Autumn Foliage
– turning yellow, orange, red
or purple
– dependable for fall
coloration
– color develops late and
leaves hold well
Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
• Flowers
– small, red or purple, in
May and June
• Fruit
– samaras 0.5" to 0.75"
long
– generally reddish
tinged green, but some
are just green
Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum
• Bark
– twigs have green and red,
polished, shiny bark that is
showy
– trunk and main branch bark is
gray
– stem and bark color is a
valuable ornamental feature
• Culture
– Full sun to partial shade is best;
shade tolerant
– moist, slightly acidic, welldrained, high organic matter
soil is ideal
– often stated to be delicate
plants, but probably more
adaptable than given credit for
– dislikes hot, dry locations
– avoid windswept winter
locations