Cultivation
Japanese Maples are becoming increasingly popular and numerous varieties 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.
They are happy on acid or slightly 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. Many people can find such a site on the north or east side of their 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 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 before planting in a light, airy position but out of the wind and hot sun.
When planting, dig a hole to a spades depth, 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 to one half 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. 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 reasonably light and aerated. Bark or leafmould can be incorporated to achieve this. The plants will benefit from repotting every two years. 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. Older plants can be repotted into the same size container when fully dormant (November to February). 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 when repotting into the same pot. This process will not harm the plant and can be done at every repotting if necessary.
Japanese Maple cultivars available
Prices start at £14.50 for 2/3yr old grafts in 2 lt. pots. (£18.50 for shirasawanum Aureum) These plants range from 20-80cm. depending on variety.
We also stock a variety of larger plants in 5-50lt.containers. Prices for these are usually £20 - £100
Not all varieties listed above are available in the full range of sizes.
We can email pictures of the larger Maples if required.
If you are looking for any variety of Maple not listed, we can usually get them in to order during the autumn, but we need to know by the end of August as stocks of the newer varieties are usually in short supply.
| Name | Pot (ltr) | Price (£) | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acer japonicum Aconitifolium | 2.00 | 14.50 | Slow growing cut-leaf Maple. 2m. Red/gold autumn colours. |
| Acer japonicum Green Cascade | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dissected foliage. Mound forming 1m. Red/gold autumn colour. |
| Acer japonicum Vitifolium | 2.00 | 14.50 | Slow growing Maple. 2m.+ Red/gold autumn colours. |
| Acer palmatum | 2.00 | 5.80 | Selected colour forms and habits. From seed collected by ourselves. |
| Acer palmatum Aka Shigitatsusawa | 2.00 | 14.50 | Maroon foliage during spring. Pink cream variegation in summer. 3-4mt. |
| Acer palmatum Aoyagi | 2.00 | 14.50 | The green counterpart of Sango Kaku. Pale green leaves, yellow in autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Aratama | 2.00 | 14.50 | Compact dwarf up to 1.5m. Dark purple leaves, red in autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Ariadne | 2.00 | 14.50 | Semi dwarf, spreading. Marbled pink, cream, orange tones. Deeply divided lvs. |
| Acer palmatum Asahi-zuru | 2.00 | 14.50 | 'Rising Sun Maple' Upright 2-3 mts. Variegated foliage often tinged pink |
| Acer palmatum Atrolineare | 2.00 | 14.50 | Purple linear leaf Maple. Orange autumn colour. Dappled shade. 2.5m+ |
| Acer palmatum Baldsmith | 2.00 | 14.50 | Red/green. dissected leaves. Yellow/orange in autumn. 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Beni fushigi | 2.00 | 14.50 | Slow. Small pink leaves maturing red. Eventually 2m. |
| Acer palmatum Beni hoshi | 2.00 | 14.50 | Red leaves in spring, turning green. Yellow orange autumn colours. Dwarf. |
| Acer palmatum Beni kawa | 2.00 | 14.50 | As Sango kaku, but later in leafing, slower and more persistant stem colour. |
| Acer palmatum Beni otake | 2.00 | 14.50 | Strap like purple leaves.. Crimson in Autumn. 3m. Upright. |
| Acer palmatum Beni-maiko | 2.00 | 14.50 | Small irregular shaped lvs. scarlet, turning red/green. 1.5m |
| Acer palmatum Beni-schichihenge | 2.00 | 14.50 | Upright, variegated Maple 2-3m. Foliage turns red/cream in Autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Bloodgood | 2.00 | 14.50 | Strong growing variety to 3-4 mts. Black-red leaves. Crimson in Autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Brandt's Dwarf | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf purple Maple. 1m. Brilliant red autumn colour. Slow |
| Acer palmatum Brocade (diss.) | 2.00 | 14.50 | Similar to dis.atropurpureum, but better growing. Orange autumn colour. |
| Acer palmatum Burgundy Lace | 2.00 | 14.50 | Deeply cut purple leaves. Orange/red in Autumn. 2m. Wide spreading. |
| Acer palmatum Chishio | 2.00 | 14.50 | Orange pink new growth turning green/pink. Scarlet in autumn. 2m. |
| Acer palmatum Chitoseyama | 2.00 | 14.50 | Wide spreading 2mt. Red/green deeply divided leaves. Red Autumn colour. |
| Acer palmatum Coonara Pygmy | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf 1-1.5m. Small green leaves, orange in Autumn. Compact twiggy habit. |
| Acer palmatum Coral Pink | 2.00 | 14.50 | |
| Acer palmatum Corallinum | 2.00 | 14.50 | Shrimp pink new growth turning green/pink. Scarlet in autumn. 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Crimson Queen | 2.00 | 14.50 | Purple dissected form. Dark maroon purple, turning red in Autumn. 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Crippsii | 2.00 | 14.50 | Green turning gold, rolled up leaf margins. Upright 1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Diss. Atropurpurem | 2.00 | 14.50 | Purple cut-leaf. Red Autumn colour. Forms dome. Bronze Summer foliage. |
| Acer palmatum Eddisbury | 2.00 | 14.50 | Upright growing Maple. 3m. Orange Autumn colour. Red stems Winter. |
| Acer palmatum Eimini | 2.00 | 14.50 | |
| Acer palmatum Ellen | 2.00 | 14.50 | Green dissected, yellow autumn colour. Mound forming. 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Emperor 1 | 2.00 | 14.50 | Vigorous red, similar to Bloodgood, but comes into leaf later. Crimson in autumn |
| Acer palmatum Englishtown | 2.00 | 14.50 | Red leaf dwarf. Upright habit. Similar to Shaina. |
| Acer palmatum Enkan | 2.00 | 14.50 | The darkest red linear leaf maple. Orange in autumn. 2m. |
| Acer palmatum Felice | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dissected. Green and red foliage. Orange yellow new growth. |
| Acer palmatum Filigree | 2.00 | 14.50 | Finest cut green leaf Maple 1mt. Variegated appearance, gold in Autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Fiore d' Aranchio | 2.00 | 14.50 | Green linear leaves with red overtones, gold in autumn. Upright dome 1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Fireglow | 2.00 | 14.50 | Large red/purple leaves, rich crimson in Autumn. Upright habit. |
| Acer palmatum Garnet (diss.) | 5.00 | 20.00 | Purple cut foliage throughout summer, red in autumn dome shaped 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Geisha | 2.00 | 14.50 | Shrimp pink new growth turning green/pink. Scarlet in autumn. 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Glowing Embers | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dense compact habit. Bright red young shoots develop into purple foliage. |
| Acer palmatum Goshiki-kotohime | 1.50 | 14.50 | Very slow and compact. Small pink/cream variegated leaves. 60-75cm. |
| Acer palmatum Green Mist | 2.00 | 14.50 | |
| Acer palmatum Hanzell | 2.00 | 14.50 | |
| Acer palmatum Higasayama | 2.00 | 14.50 | Cream/red/green variegation 2m. Pink/yellow in spring. Orange in autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Ichigyoji | 2.00 | 14.50 | Vigorous upright. Large green leaves. Outstanding orange autumn colour. 3-5m. |
| Acer palmatum Inaba-Shidare (diss.) | 5.00 | 20.00 | Purple dissected leaves. Fine Autumn colour. Weeping habit 1-2m. |
| Acer palmatum Jerre Schwartz | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf red Maple. Deeply divided leaves. Bright red autumn colour. 1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Jir-shidare | 2.00 | 14.50 | |
| Acer palmatum Kamagata | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf 1m. Fern like leaves orange/green, green then orange in autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Kashima | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf 1m. Compact. Small leaves orange developing to green then yellow in autumn |
| Acer palmatum Katja | 2.00 | 14.50 | Semi dwarf, upright. Green leaves turning orange in autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Katsura | 2.00 | 14.50 | Foliage changing yellow, orange to green. Orange in autumn. Easy 2m. |
| Acer palmatum Kihachijo | 2.00 | 14.50 | Large green leaves, turning rich scarlet/crimson in Autumn.2-3m. |
| Acer palmatum Kinchi | 2.00 | 14.50 | Thin strap like foliage. Orange/yellow in autumn. 1.5-2m. |
| Acer palmatum Komachi hime | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf, bushy. small green lvs. edged orange in spring. Orange in autumn. 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Kurui-jishi | 2.00 | 14.50 | Similar to"Okushimo" only dwarfer. 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Lozita | 2.00 | 14.50 | |
| Acer palmatum Mapi-no-machihime | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf 1m. Green foliage, red leaf tips in Spring. Orange autumn colour. |
| Acer palmatum Masu murasaki | 2.00 | 14.50 | Upright 3m. Red leaves if grown in sun. Black/green in shade. |
| Acer palmatum Mikawa yatsubusa | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dense habit. Green leaves overlying each other. Compact growth. Slow 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Mini Mondo | 2.00 | 14.50 | Compact, upright semi dwarf. Small palm like leaves turning red in autumn. 1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Mirte | 2.00 | 14.50 | |
| Acer palmatum Mizuho beni | 2.00 | 14.50 | Similar to Katsura but more serrated leaves and 2-3 weeks later in leafing. |
| Acer palmatum Momoiro Koyasan | 2.00 | 14.50 | Semi dwarf shrubby 2-2.5mt. Young growth peach turning red/green |
| Acer palmatum Murasaki-kyohime | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf, twiggy habit. 1m. Green leaves edged red, orange in autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Nicholsonii | 2.00 | 14.50 | Red/purple new growth turning green. Orange in autumn. Spreading habit 2m. |
| Acer palmatum Nigrum | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dark purple Maple 1.5m. Compact variety, slow. Red in Autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Okagami | 2.00 | 14.50 | Large black purple leaves 3-4m. Upright habit. Scarlet in Autumn. 3m. |
| Acer palmatum Omurayama | 2.00 | 14.50 | Deeply divided green leaves, red/gold in autumn. Cascading habit 2-3m. |
| Acer palmatum Orange Dream | 2.00 | 14.50 | Orange young growth turning yellow/green. Golden yellow autumn colour. 2m. |
| Acer palmatum Orangeola (diss) | 2.00 | 14.50 | Vigorous dissected form. Red leaves turning bronze then orange. Strongly Weeping |
| Acer palmatum Oregon Sunset | 2.00 | 14.50 | Rich red deeply divided leaves. Vivid red autumn colours. Compact. 1-1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Osakazuki | 2.00 | 14.50 | Large green leaves, turning rich scarlet/crimson in Autumn.2-3m. |
| Acer palmatum Otome-zakura | 2.00 | 14.50 | Semi dwarf. Strap like foliage on mature wood. Foliage pink then red/green. |
| Acer palmatum Palmatifidum | 2.00 | 14.50 | Green cut leaf Maple 1.5m. Orange Autumn colour. Weeping habit |
| Acer palmatum Peaches and Cream | 2.00 | 14.50 | Delicate green white pink variegation. Deeply divided leaves 2m. |
| Acer palmatum Pixie | 2.00 | 14.50 | Semi dwarf red. Compact. Rounded habit. Like a dwarf form of Bloodgood 1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Red Autumn Lace | 2.00 | 14.50 | Green, red tinted dissected. Yellow, orange then red autumn colour. Large dome. |
| Acer palmatum Red Filigree Lace | 2.00 | 14.50 | Purple cut foliage throughout summer, red in autumn Slow, compact 80cm. |
| Acer palmatum Red Flash | 2.00 | 14.50 | Bright red new growth, turning dark purple. Upright fairly vigorous. 3-4m. |
| Acer palmatum Red Jonas | 2.00 | 14.50 | Strong upright habit. 2-3m. Red foliage turning crimson in autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Red Wood | 2.00 | 14.50 | As Sango kaku but retains red stems on older wood. |
| Acer palmatum Rokugotsuen Nishiki | 2.00 | 14.50 | |
| Acer palmatum Sango-kaku | 2.00 | 14.50 | Red stems in winter. Orange spring and autumn colour, green in summer. 3m. |
| Acer palmatum Sazanami | 2.00 | 14.50 | Deeply divided small green leaves. Orange and yellow autumn colours 2-3m. |
| Acer palmatum Scolopendrifolium | 2.00 | 14.50 | Green linear leaves, yellow/orange in autumn. 3-4m. |
| Acer palmatum Seiryu | 2.00 | 14.50 | Upright growing Maple. Dissected green foliage, gold in autumn 2.5mt. |
| Acer palmatum Seiun Kaku | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dense habit. Leaves closely set. Like a more vigorous Mikawa Yatsabusa |
| Acer palmatum Shaina | 2.00 | 14.50 | Compact form up to 1.5m. Dark purple foliage. Compact. |
| Acer palmatum Sharp's Pygmy | 2.00 | 14.50 | Compact dwarf. Small green deeply divided lvs. orange red in autumn. 1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Shindeshojo | 2.00 | 14.50 | Rich pink foliage on young growth turning pink/green. Wide spreading. 2m. |
| Acer palmatum Shishigashira | 2.00 | 14.50 | Slow growing. Upright. 2-3m. Small crinkled leaves orange in autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Shojo nomura | 2.00 | 14.50 | Vigorous upright maple 3-4mt. Large red/purple leaves, red in autumn |
| Acer palmatum Skeeters | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf cultivar, similar to Shaina but more robust. 1-1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Suminagashi | 2.00 | 14.50 | One of the best purple varieties for red autumn colour. Divided lvs. Upright 3m. |
| Acer palmatum Sunset | 2.00 | 14.50 | Unusual dissected Maple. Copper tinted green foliage. Dome shaped 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Tamuke yama | 2.00 | 14.50 | Purple cut foliage throughout summer, red in autumn dome shaped 1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Tana | 2.00 | 14.50 | Pale green foliage tipped purple. Red and gold in Autumn. Full sun. 2m. |
| Acer palmatum Taroh yama | 2.00 | 14.50 | Compact dwarf, good for bonsai. Yellow/orange-pink young growth 1m. |
| Acer palmatum Toyama Nishiki | 2.00 | 14.50 | Green bronze with cream pink variegations. Dissected. Dappled shade. |
| Acer palmatum Trompenburg | 2.00 | 14.50 | Vigorous 3m. Deeply lobed shiny purple foliage, crimson in autumn. |
| Acer palmatum Tsuma-gaki | 2.00 | 14.50 | Semi dwarf. Spring foliage pale green/red tips. Red autumn tints. |
| Acer palmatum Tsuri nishiki | 2.00 | 14.50 | Sturdy green leaf maple. 3-4mt. Yellow orange red autumn colour. |
| Acer palmatum Ukigomo | 2.00 | 14.50 | Small Maple 1.5-2mt. Mottled variegation. Red/cream Autumn colour. |
| Acer palmatum Vens Red | 2.00 | 14.50 | Dwarf upright red Maple. 1.5m. Crimson autumn foliage |
| Acer palmatum Villa Taranto | 2.00 | 14.50 | Green linear leaves with red overtones, gold in autumn. Upright dome 1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Wakehurst Pink | 2.00 | 14.50 | Large deeply divided green leaves. Pink tinted in spring Showy red petioles. |
| Acer palmatum Wendy | 2.00 | 14.50 | |
| Acer palmatum Wilsons Pink Dwarf | 2.00 | 14.50 | Pink spring growth turning green. Upright habit. Semi dwarf. 1.5m. |
| Acer palmatum Winter Flame | 2.00 | 14.50 | NEW Red stems in winter. As Sango kaku but smaller 2-3 mt. |
| Acer palmatum Yubae | 2.00 | 14.50 | Large maroon red leaves, occasionally red variegated. Upright habit 3m. |
| Acer palmatum atropurpureum | 2.00 | 6.50 | Popular Purple leaf Japanese Maple 2m.+ Scarlet Autumn foliage. |
| Acer palmatum dissectum | 1.50 | 14.50 | Green dissected leaf Maple to 1-1.5m.. Orange Autumn colour. |
| Acer palmatum dissectum Nigrum | 1.50 | 14.50 | Purple cut-leaves. Good Autumn colour. Low growing. Retains colour well. 1m. |
| Acer shirasawanum aureum | 1.50 | 15.00 | Slow growing 2m. Golden foliage all summer, red/gold in autumn. Dappled shade. |