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ACER
Commonly known as Japanese 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.
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Deciduous5-lobed leaves, 5-8cm (2-3in) long
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Height5m (16ft) -
Spread4m (13ft)
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Tall Shrub
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TreeUpright habit. Inconspicuous flowers in spring. Winged fruits in autumn
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Hardy - cold winterHardy 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) -
Partial shadeShelter from cold winds and late frosts
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Additional Features
Good to knowMaximum size in about 20 years
Pests & DiseasesAphids, mites, scale insects, caterpillars, Verticillium wilt, leaf scorch, honey fungus.
Place of originChina, Korea, Japan. -
Garden Location/ConditionsPatio / pot plantsSuitable for small gardens
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HardinessFully hardy
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Leaf Colour (if not green)Gold variegated
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Leaf form
Palmate(see photos above) -
Pruning group
Pruning group 1Suitable 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.
RHS group 1Late autumn to midwinter -
Seasonal InterestAutumn
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Soil ConditionsFertile moist well-drained soil
- Garden Cultivation
- Pests & Diseases
- Propagation
- Further Reading
- Scorching & Dieback - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Allergic reactions and pollen
- Plants which produce masses of pollen - to avoid
- Plants producing little pollen - relatively safe!
- How to plant/move a shrub
- How to plant/move a shrub - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Fertisiling shrubs - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Mulching - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Pruning a shrub - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Summer propagation - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Taking semi-ripe cuttings -Video Tip ondemand_video
- Self-sown seedlings - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Trimming a shrub - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Weed spraying - Video Tip ondemand_video
- When is the right time to collect seeds?
- When are seeds actually ripe and ready for collection?
- Magnolia seed collection - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Cornus capitata seed collection - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Lithocarpus Seed Collection - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Camellia seed collection - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Rhododendron seed collecting - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Storing seeds over winter
- Embothrium Collecting and Storing Seeds
- Decaisnea Seed Collection & Potting
- How to plant a tree - Video Tip ondemand_video
- How to plant a tree
- Ties - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Restaking fallen young trees - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Fallen old tree - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Clearing up fallen beech tree - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Spring pruning - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Removing side shoots - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Pruning and Shaping Magnolia - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Deer protection - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Weed Spraying - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Removing Ivy - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Removing wire protection - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Tree Survey - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Crown uplift - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Removing shoots below graft - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Removing peeling bark - Video Tip ondemand_video
- Maintaining variegation - Video Tip ondemand_video
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5m (16ft)
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4m (13ft) |
Buy Varieties of ACER
ACER platanoides 'Drummondii'
white variegated Norway maple
ACER platanoides 'Princeton Gold'
bright yellow young leaves with red stems
ACER pseudoplatanus
Fast growing, salt-tolerant species introduced from central Europe
Gift-wrapping available
ACER 'Red Flamingo'
white-striped red bark. Young leaves mottled green and pink later turning dark green
ACER rubrum
widely recognised as one of the most spectacular trees for autumn colour. Best in acid soil
Gift-wrapping available
ACER rubrum 'October Glory'
glossy foliage which turns brilliant red in the autumn
ACER rubrum 'Red Sunset'
upright habit and exceptional red autumn colour
ACER rubrum 'Scanlon'
broadly columnar habit and excellent autumn colour
ACER rufinerve
conspicuous white striations on the older green stems and trunk of this snakebark maple. Bright red and yellow autumn colours
ACER saccharinum
5 lobed leaves which are silvery white underneath and provide good autumn colour. Quick growing
Gift-wrapping available
ACER saccharum
blunt-lobed leaves turn brilliant red/yellow in autumn
ACER shirasawanum 'Aureum'
slow growing variety with soft yellow leaves
Gift-wrapping available
ACER shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'
peach, pink and flame colours on the same leaf in autumn. Quite stunning but the spring and summer foliage is equally dramatic. Pumpkin-green leaves at first with a second growth spurt in summer in which the leaves develop a pink halo
ACER shirasawanum 'Jordan'
slow growing and dwarf form with bright golden foliage in spring which turns red in summer and autumn. Will tolerate full sun
Gift-wrapping available
ACER shirasawanum 'Moonrise'
the new leaves are bright red, turning yellow-green as they mature. Orange and red autumn colour
ACER tataricum subsp. ginnala
green three-lobed leaves turning orange and crimson in autumn
ACER triflorum
grey-brown bark and unevenly toothed palmate leaves
Gift-wrapping available
Useful extras...
