(Acer palmatum 'Samurai')

There are at least a thousand varieties of Acer palmatum out there and when you add the other species commonly referred to as Japanese Maple (Acer japonicum and A. shirasawanum) to the mix, we are well past the post. So, with so many cultivars available, how do you choose just one, or even two or three if you have room?

You might start by determining the attributes you are looking for in a tree but then again, there are so many to single out. Brilliant autumn foliage, brightly coloured bark, enticing winter silhouettes, witches’ brooms that thrive in containers, dazzling spring growth, weeping forms, lacy foliage…the list goes on and on.

(Acer palmatum 'Shindeshojo')

At Amsterdam Garden Centre, we are going to help you to narrow the field by offering only the best cultivars, over 100 varieties of Acer palmatum, japonicum and shirasawanum that will soon be available on our website. Until then, here is a sneak peek at that pending beauty.

Autumn Foliage

We might as well start out with some of the most dramatic cultivars available, with Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’ being our inaugural choice. This variety starts the season with a flush of chartreuse leaves held on contrasting red petioles. The foliage matures to a mid-green by summer and transforms into a fiery red after the weather begins to cool.

Our second selection is Acer japonicum ‘Aconitifolium’ or the Fern-Leaf Maple, which in Japan is referred to as ‘Mai Kujaku’ or the ‘Dancing Peacock’. The deep green leaves are large and delicately cut on the edges, much like a fern. Fall initiates a colourful process that begins with the leaf edges turning a fire-engine red, eventually spreading to the entire leaf surface as brilliant hues of deep orange and scarlet.

The Ghost Series of Japanese Maples

There isn’t a member of this series that I wouldn’t plant in my own garden, but we will showcase two of them that are polar opposites. The Ghost Series have reticulated foliage or leaves with veins that are a different colour, particularly noticeable at spring flush.

Acer palmatum ‘First Ghost’ was the first introduction and features creamy-white new growth with prominent green veining and contrasting purplish-red margins.

‘Purple Ghost’ has much darker foliage of an unusual lavender purple accented by maroon veining which really pops against surrounding green vegetation.

Interesting Japanese Maple Leaves

Acer palmatum ‘Red Spider’ is a strap-leaf form with unique cherry-red foliage that actually darkens as summer approaches. It is a short upright tree that matures around 10’ tall and turns a vivid crimson red in the fall.

Our second selection Acer palmatum ‘Grandma Ghost’ has unique claw-like leaves with heavily serrated edges. These emerge a creamy-white, quickly changing to a pale lime green with prominent veining and very dark orange autumn tones.

Spring Flush

(📸: Heritage Seedlings)

With a name that translates as ‘floating clouds’, Acer palmatum ‘Ukigumo’ is a highly variegated variety that lives up to its title at spring flush by appearing almost entirely white. To prolong the display and avoid foliar scorch, this cultivar is best planted out of the hot afternoon sun.

Our next selection, Acer shirasawanum ‘Autumn Moon’, brings autumn colours to spring with its stunning flush of bright salmon-pink to orange leaves that shift to gold by summer.

Weeping Forms

Weeping forms can be found in both Acer palmatum and Acer japonicum, with the leaves on the latter being large but deeply divided.

Acer japonicum ‘Abby’s Weeping’ is considered a dwarf form, as it matures at only 2-3’ tall by 3-4’ wide in ten years. The green foliage dazzles in fall with varied hues of orange, purple and red.

Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Autumn Fire’ really lives up to its name with green leaves (tipped in bronze) that transform towards a fiery scarlet in autumn.

Ornamental Bark

The definitive Japanese Maple for ornamental bark is ‘Sango Kaku’ (also known as ‘Senkaki’) as it has glow-in-the-dark coral pink bark all winter long. But it doesn’t end there with this Award of Garden Merit winner as the new growth is an attractive pale green with pink highlights that shifts to a golden yellow in fall, perfectly complementing the bark.

My second choice here is usually chosen for its growth habit, as Acer palmatum ‘Shishigashira’, or Lion’s Head Maple, produces tiny, currant-shaped green leaves held in dense clusters, like it has been trained as a bonsai. What most people don’t appreciate is that the avocado-green bark looks great in the winter, and it still exhibits that bonsai-like silhouette.

Dwarf Japanese Maple Varieties

These are cultivars suitable for growing in containers or planting in smaller urban gardens.

(📸: Krzysztof Golik - Wikimedia)

We’ll start with the ever-popular Acer palmatum ‘Shaina’, a witches’ broom discovered on a 100-year-old ‘Atropurpureum’. New growth emerges a bright red in spring, and it matures at about 4-5’ tall in 10 years.

‘Red Pygmy’ is another compact Acer palmatum, which is a member of the Linearilobum or strap-leaf group and an Award of Garden Merit winner. It tolerates sun quite well and bears thread-like leaf lobes of burgundy-red that shift to dramatic shades of reddish orange in autumn. It matures at around 6’ tall when planted in ground.

I hope you have enjoyed our Japanese Maple preview, just remember that there are another 86 varieties coming to you soon via our website preorder page.

All images Copyright 2024 MK Lascelle, except those already credited.