Japanese Maple – Root and Branch Review

Japanese Maple – Root and Branch Review

Acer

Ornamental Japanese Maples are widely available for planting in your garden. The autumn colouring makes these trees spectacular when planted en mass in a woodland or Japanese garden setting.

Key Features of the Japanese Maple

  • Latin name Acer palmatum or Acer Japonica, Japanese Acer
  • Height up to 12m 45 feet with a graceful habit.
  • Type of tree – Deciduous – dictoyledons
  • Leaves – Palm shaped hence the name palmate with 5-9 deep, finely serrated lobes or fingers.
  • Flowers Deep red in small inconsequential spreading heads
  • Fruit Red winged seedheads in pairs. Known as keys.
  • Bark Smooth brown/grey with pale longitudinal stripes
  • Family Acer

Origins and Distribution of the Japanese Maple

  • Native to China, Japan Korea and Taiwan.
  • Cultivated in Japan for centuries for its colourful foliage and as a bonsai subject.
  • Introduced in to Europe in 1820.
  • Acers are a large family of trees including Sycamore and Maples.

Acer japonica

Uses and Attributes of the Japanese Maple

  • The main use is as an ornamental tree.
  • Popular in parks and as feature trees in gardens.
  • The autumn colouring of the leaves can be spectacular and contribute to tourism
  • Like other maples they can bleed a syrup but I am unaware of any commercial product.
  • Japanese acers are useful as an understory plant in shady woodlands.

Gardeners Tips for the Japanese Maple

  • The leaves are thin and lacking in substance. Therefore they are easily damaged by wind and red leaves can burn or shrivel in the sun. Plant in a sheltered location
  • Japanese maples are slow growing and can be grown in large containers or as bonsai
  • Problems Growing Acer palmatum and In the name of Japanese Maples

Acers

Other types of Japanese Maple and key species

  • There are hundreds if not thousands of cultivars varying in leaf colour from green, yellow and red
  • Acer palmatum var. pubescens and Acer japonicum—Downy Japanese Maple
  • Acer pseudosieboldianum—Korean Maple
  • Acer shirasawanum—Fullmoon Maple
  • Acer sieboldianum—Siebold’s Maple
  • The national collection of over 100 different Japanese Acers is held at Westonbirt Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QS and is well worth a visit. This is a wider selection of the Japanese Acers you may see there and growers add to their lists regularly: Acer palmatum ‘Aka shigitatsu sawa’, ‘Asahi zuru’, Acer palmatum ‘Akegarasu’, ‘Aoyagi’,’Ariake nomura’, Acer palmatum ‘Aureum’, ‘Azuma murasaki’, ‘Hagoromo’, Acer palmatum ‘Beni kawa’,’Beni kagami’,’Garnet’ See link for a full list

Japanese Maple comments from elsewhere

‘Maple collections, sometimes called aceretums, occupy space in many gardens and arboreta around the world including the “five great W’s” in England: Wakehurst Place Garden, Westonbirt Arboretum, Windsor Great Park, Winkworth Arboretum and Wisley Garden.
In the United States, the aceretum at the Harvard-owned Arnold Arboretum in Boston is especially notable. In the number of species and cultivars, the Esveld Aceretum in Boskoop, Netherlands is the largest in the world.’ Thanks to wikipedia

Acer palmatum

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