Chris Pattison - Nurseryman

Brookend, Pendock, Gloucestershire, GL19 3PL - Tel/Fax: 01531 650480 Email: contact@chris-pattison.co.uk

Cultivation

Japanese Maples are becoming increasingly popular and numerous cultivars are available from specialist nurseries. There is a tremendous range of different colours, forms and sizes.
As a group of plants they are very adaptable to a wide range of growing conditions, and contrary to many peoples views, not difficult to grow provided certain conditions are met.

Acer Foliage

They are happy on acid or alkaline soils, but will not tolerate being waterlogged or planted in exposed positions. The ideal site for planting maples is an area which is well lit but at the same time cool. You can usually find such a site on the north or east side of the house. Some of the delicate cut-leaf varieties, the variegated forms and golden foliage cultivars should be sited in a position away from wind and where they can benefit from light dappled shade during the hottest part of the day. Too much shade will result in a ‘greening’ of the leaf colour. Many of the green leaf forms and several purple foliage varieties are quite happy planted in full sun in a fairly open (but not exposed) position. In exceptionally hot or windy weather these may burn slightly round the edges of the uppermost leaves but this rarely has significant adverse effect on subsequent growth.

Severe late Spring frosts can damage the young growth of Maples, but once established the plants will regenerate from an abundance of dormant buds on the older wood which will break into growth three or four weeks after the initial frost damage. Needless to say once leaf drop has occurred in the Autumn sun and wind exposure will not harm the plants until they leaf again in the Spring.

When purchasing Maples, attention should be paid to the graft union. If there is severe die back at this point, the plant should be avoided. Ideally the graft should be clean and relatively free from scarring. A good graft union results in good strong top growth, therefore choose plants with plenty of vigour and a generally "leafy" appearance. Avoid twiggy, woody looking plants. Most nurseries grow their Maples in protected structures to get optimum growth. It is very important to wean the plants off these conditions before planting, therefore it is advisable to leave the plant outside for a week or so in a light, airy position but out of the wind and hot sun. Wherever possible when purchasing Acers, go for those that have been growing on outside beds.

When planting your Maple dig a hole to a spades depth, and at least two or three times wider than the pot size, loosen the soil beneath this with a fork, and backfill mixing with the soil approximately one third peat, leafmould or other organic matter, then plant into this mix. Firm lightly and water well. Maples should not be planted deeply, make sure the pot compost level is no deeper than the soil level. These plants are light feeders so if planted in reasonably fertile soil, they will need no additional feeding; too much feed can be detrimental.

Japanese Maples are ideal for growing in containers as they have a comparatively small root system. The use of proprietary composts alone should be avoided, they do not have the structure or free draining properties required for Maples. A better result will be achieved if potted into a mix of half good quality top soil, and half leafmould, peat or peat-based compost. The mix should be fairly coarse and well aerated. Bark or leafmould can be incorporated to achieve this. Ideally the plants should be repotted every Spring.
When repotting, it is advisable to pot into the next pot size up and not directly into the final container. This pot can always be plunged into a larger ornamental container thus making regular repotting easier. Old plants in large containers will still benefit from repotting.  if you can’t physically manage to pot into a larger size, they can always be repotted back into the same pot. The root system can be shaken to loosen old compost and up to 20 percent of the root system can be removed to allow for a quantity of new compost. This process will not harm the plant and can be done at every repotting if necessary, providing the plants are dormant. The best time for repotting is mid - end February.

Prices

  • £15.00 for 1/2yr old grafts in 2 lt. pots. These plants range from 20-80cm. depending on variety.
  • £20.00 for 3-4 year old plants in 3lt. pots.
  • £28.50 for 4-5 year old plants in 5lt. pots.
  • £35.00 for larger plants in 7.5lt. pots.

For mail order we prefer to supply the 3-4 year old plants as these have been growing outside with no protection for the past season, making them a safer option for immediate planting. Alternatively we can supply the younger 1-2 year old plants. Plants in 5lt. pots and larger are usually too large to send by carrier.

We also stock a variety of specimen Maples in 10-50lt.containers. Prices for these are usually £45 - £150. Not all varieties listed here are available in the full range of sizes. We can email pictures of the larger Maples if required.

 

Hanami Jonas Shojo
Name Description
Acer palmatum Ariadne Semi dwarf, spreading. Marbled pink, cream, orange tones. Dissected lvs. 1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Baldsmith New dissected Maple. Red & green bi-coloured leaves, rich crimson in Autumn. 1m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Barry Bergman (diss.) Purple dissected foliage, Rust red in Summer turning orange red. 1m. dome. Photo.
Acer palmatum Beni gasa Large very deeply divided leaves. Purple red, red in Autumn. Slow 2-3m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Beni hime Small leaf dwarf. 80cm. Red young growth, turning greenish. Red in Autumn. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Beni kawa As Sango kaku, but later in leafing, smaller and slower. Red stems in Winter. Photo.
Acer palmatum Beni-maiko Rich pink Spring growth turning red/green, red in Autumn. 1.5-2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Beni-schichihenge Upright, variegated Maple 2-3m. Foliage turns red/cream in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Beni shien Variegated strap like lvs. Red in Spring, purple then green. Yellow in autum. 3m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Beni zuru Small leaf semi dwarf. 2m. Orange pink, green then red in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Bloodgood Strong growing 4 mts. Black-red leaves turning Crimson. Showy red winged seeds. Photo.
Acer palmatum Brandt's Dwarf Dwarf purple Maple. 1m. Brilliant red Autumn colour. Slow. Photo.
Acer palmatum Brocade (diss.) Purple dissected foliage, bronze in Summer. Vibrant orange red in Autumn. 1m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Burgundy Lace Deeply cut purple leaves. Orange/red in Autumn. 2m. Wide spreading. Photo.
Acer palmatum Chishio Orange pink new growth turning green/pink. Scarlet in Autumn. 1.5m. Slow. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Chitoseyama Wide spreading 2mt. Red/green deeply divided leaves. Red Autumn colour. Photo.
Acer palmatum Coral Pink Pink young growth turning pink/cream. Red in Autumn. Surprisingly tough. 1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Corallinum (ex. Hill) The true Hillier Arboretum form 1m. Orange pink new growth. Slow and difficult. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Crimson Queen Purple dissected form. Dark maroon purple, turning red in Autumn. 1m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Earthfire New. Purple sharp pointed wavy edged leaves. Shrubby habit. 1.5m. Red in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Eddisbury Improvment on Sango kaku 4m.+  Orange Autumn colour. Red stems Winter. Photo.
Acer palmatum Eimini Red new shoots and leaf petioles, dwarf 1-1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Ellen Green, finely dissected leaves. Yellow Autumn colour. Mound forming. 1m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Emperor 1 Black purple foliage, similar to Bloodgood, but later to leaf. Crimson in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Englishtown Red leaf dwarf. Upright habit. Small leaves, red in Autumn. 1.2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Enkan The darkest red linear leaf maple. Orange in Autumn. 2m. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Felice Dissected. Green and red foliage. Orange yellow new growth. 1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Filigree Finest cut green leaf Maple 1mt. Variegated appearance, orange/gold in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Fiore d' Aranchio Deeply divided leaves, orange red in Spring, turning bronze then orange. Photo.
Acer palmatum Fireglow Large red/purple leaves, rich crimson in Autumn. Reliable cultvar. Photo.
Acer palmatum Garnet (diss.) Purple cut foliage throughout Summer, red in Autumn dome shaped 1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Glowing Embers Dense compact habit. 2m. Red young leaves maturing purple. Orange in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Green Mist Delicate finely dissected foliage. Orange red in Autumn. 1m. Domed habit. Photo.
Acer palmatum Green Star Large star shaped green leaves.  Vivid pink, yellow, orange Autumn colour. 5-6m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Hanami Nishiki Dwarf green leaf maple. 1m. Very small leaves. Orange red in Autumn. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Hanzell Tough red/green low growing dissected maple. Bluish tints, orange in Autumn.1m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Higasayama Cream/red/green variegation. Upright 2m. Small upturned lvs. Orange in Autumn. PTF.
Acer palmatum Hogyoku Large green leaves. Outstanding orange Autumn colour. 3-5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Ichigyoji Large green leaves. Brilliant orange Autumn colour. 3m. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Inaba-Shidare (diss.) Large purple dissected leaves, red petioles. Crimson in Autumn. Domed habit 1-2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Japanese Sunrise New. similar to Sango kaku. Fresh green lvs. turning orange/yellow. Orange stems. Photo.
Acer palmatum Kashima Dwarf 1m. Compact. Small leaves orange then green. Orange/yellow in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Kihachijo Attractive 'fresh green' foliage. Orange, red and yellow shades in autum. 3-4m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Kinchi Thin strap like foliage. Orange/yellow in Autumn. 1.5-2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Kiyohime Dwarf, bushy. Green leaves, edged orange in Spring. Orange in Autumn. 1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Komachi hime Dwarf, bushy. small green lvs. edged orange in Spring. Orange in Autumn. 1m. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Kuro hime Dwarf green leaf cultivar. 1m. Pink in Spring changing to green red then  Red. Photo.
Acer palmatum Lozita Mahogany red leaves with contrasting red young growth. Scarlet in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Mapi-no-machihime Dwarf 1m. Green foliage, red leaf tips in Spring. Orange Autumn colour. Photo.
Acer palmatum Margaret Upright 2.5-3m. Small green lvs, pink/yellow new growth. Yellow Autumn colour. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Mizuho beni Divided foliage. orange yellow new growth turning green. Orange red in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Momoiro Koyasan Semi dwarf shrubby 2-2.5mt. Young growth peach turning red/green. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Moonfire Strong reliable cultivar 4-5m. Large dark purple lvs. Crimson in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Murasaki-kyohime Dwarf, twiggy habit. 1m. Green leaves edged red, orange in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Nicholsonii Red/purple new growth turning green. Orange in Autumn. Arching habit 2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Nigrum Dark purple leaves, green stems, 2-3m. Compact variety, slow. Red in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Nuresagi Deeply divided dark purple leaves. 4m. Red petioles and veins. Red Autumn colour. Photo.
Acer palmatum Okagami Large black purple leaves 3-4m. Upright habit. Scarlet in Autumn. 3m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Orangeola (diss) Vigorous dissected form. Red leaves turning bronze then orange. Strongly Weeping. Photo.
Acer palmatum Osakazuki Large green leaves, turning scarlet in Autumn. 2-3m. Can be slow growing. Photo.
Acer palmatum Pixie Sturdy Maple. Compact. Upright habit. Red purple leaves, turning red. 1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Red Autumn Lace Red tinted green leaf dissected. Yellow, orange red Autumn colour. Photo.
Acer palmatum Red Dragon Dark purple dissected leaves, red in Autumn. Weeping habit up to 1m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Red Emperor Improvement on 'Bloodgood' late to leaf, thus reducing chance of frost damage. Photo.
Acer palmatum Red Jonas Strong Upright habit. 3m. Red foliage turning crimson in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Red Wood As Sango kaku but retains red stems on older wood. Orange in Spring and Autumn. PTF.
Acer palmatum Rokugotsuen Nishiki Pink cream variegations on young leaves. Semi dwarf.1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Sango-kaku Red stems in Winter. Orange Spring and Autumn colour, green in Summer. 4m+. Photo.
Acer palmatum Seiryu Upright growing Maple. Dissected green foliage, gold in Autumn 3mt. Photo.
Acer palmatum Seiun Kaku Dense habit. Glossy green leaves closely set. Red, gold, purple Autumn col. 2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Sharon Upright. 3m. Pink red new growth. Large deeply divided purple red leaves. Photo.
Acer palmatum Sharp's Pygmy Compact dwarf. Small green deeply divided lvs. orange red in Autumn. 80cm. Photo.
Acer palmatum Sherwood Flame Red/purple deeply cut leaves turning orange. Forms large rounded bush. 1.5-2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Shidava Gold Small form of Aoagi. Green stems in Winter. Fresh 'apple green' foliage.1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Shindeshojo Rich pink foliage on young growth turning pink/green. Wide spreading. 2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Shishigashira Slow growing. Upright. 2-3m. Small crinkled leaves orange in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Shojo nomura Vigorous upright maple 3-4mt. Large red/purple leaves, red in Autumn. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum Skeeters Purple leaves in Summer turning crimson. Upright columnar habit 1.5-2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Suminagashi One of the best purple varieties for scarlet Autumn colour. Divided lvs. Upright. Photo.
Acer palmatum Tamuke yama Purple cut foliage throughout Summer, red in Autumn dome shaped 1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Taroh yama Compact stocky habit. Yellow/orange-pink young growth, maroon in Autumn 2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Taylor New pink cream variegared variety. 2-3m. Red Autumn colour. Photo.
Acer palmatum Trompenburg Vigorous 3m. Deeply lobed shiny purple foliage, crimson in Autumn. Photo.
Acer palmatum Tsuma-gaki Semi dwarf. Spring foliage pale green/red tips. Orange Autumn tints. 1.5-2m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Villa Taranto Green linear leaves with red overtones, orange in Autumn. Rounded habit 1.5m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Wakehurst Pink Large deeply divided green leaves. Pink tinted in Spring. Pink red Autumn colour. Photo.
Acer palmatum Wendy Unusual semi dwarf. Shiny bronze foliage turning green then orange red. 2-3m. Photo.
Acer palmatum Wilsons Pink Dwarf Pink Spring growth turning green. orange red in Autumn. Upright. Semi dwarf. 1.5m. Photo TF.
Acer palmatum Yubae Large maroon red leaves, occassionaly red variegated. Red Autumn tints. 3m. Photo.
Acer palmatum atropurpureum Popular purple leaf Japanese Maple 2m+.Scarlet Autumn foliage. Photo to follow.
Acer palmatum dissectum Green dissected leaf Maple to 1-1.5m. Yellow/orange Autumn colour. Photo.
Acer palmatum dissectum Nigrum Purple cut-leaves. Crimson Autumn colour. Low growing.  Retains colour well. 1m. Photo.
Acer shirasawanum aureum Slow growing 2m. Golden foliage all Summer, red/gold in Autumn. Dappled shade. Photo.