




ACER
Commonly known as Vine maple
SPECIMEN SIZED VARIETIES OF ACER PALMATUM ARE IN 7.5 OR 10 LITRE POTS AND ARE ALL APPROXIMATELY 4-6 FEET IN HEIGHT.
SPECIMEN SIZED VARIETIES OF ACER PALMATUM DISSECTUM ARE SMALLER GROWING AND THEREFORE CONSIDERABLY SMALLER IN SIZE ALTHOUGH OF A SIMILAR AGE.
Genus of 120 species of evergreen and deciduous trees and shrubs, from woodlands mainly, in Europe, northern Africa, Asia and North and Central America.
Some form large trees and others are understorey plants. The most popular decorative forms are from the palmatum group, Japanese maples which have been cultivated in Japan for centuries and is a well-known temple tree and bonsai subject . They have appeared in art forms for centuries.
Palmatum (hand-like) was the name given by Swedish doctor-botanist Carl Peter Thunberg late in the 18th century, following the ancient Japanese where they were likened to hands of frogs or hands of babies.
The UK representative is the field maple, A. campestre, a medium-sized tree favouring chalk soils but widely planted. It is a wildlife plant attractive to aphids which are preyed on by ladybirds, hoverflies and birds. Caterpillars eat the leaves and the nectar and pollen in the flowers attract insects as well.
The wood has the highest density of all the European maples and is used for veneers and harps.
Full Plant Details - Sun/Soil & other attributes - Click to close
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Good to know
Mature trees send out arching branches which root when they touch the ground forming thickets over time. -
Pests & Diseases
Aphids, mites, scale insects, caterpillars, Verticillium wilt, leaf scorch, honey fungus. -
Place of origin
Western North America -
DeciduousVine-like, rounded, deeply 7- to 9-lobed light-green leaves to 13cm (5in) long.
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Fully hardy
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PurpleSmall purple and white flowers
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Lobed
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Orbicular
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Height
5-8m (16-26ft) -
Spread
6m (20ft) -
TreeSpreading, bushy, sometimes shrubby tree. Produces pendent umbels of flowers
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Pruning group 1
Suitable for: Deciduous and evergreen trees, and some deciduous shrubs.
Pruning: Minimal pruning required. Prune wayward or crossing branches to maintain a healthy framework.
When: When dormant in the late winter/early spring. Some in the summer/autumn to prevent bleeding of sap.
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Hardy - cold winter
Hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters. May not withstand open/exposed sites or central/northern locations. Plant can withstand temperatures down to -15°C (5°F) -
Autumn Seasonal Interest
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Fertile moist well-drained soil
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Full sun
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Partial shade
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Rounded to broadly spreading
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Mature Size5-8m (16-26ft)
6m (20ft)
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- Deer protection - Video Tip ondemand_video
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- Removing Ivy - Video Tip ondemand_video
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- Tree Survey - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Crown uplift - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Removing shoots below graft - Video Tip ondemand_video
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