Red Japanese Maple

Red Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum var. atropurpureum (and other cultivars of Acer palmatum)

Aceraceae (Maple Family)

▲ young tree at Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield, MO

▲ mature tree on Missouri State University Campus

▲ ▼ mature trees at Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield, MO

▲ ▼ mature trees at Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield, MO

▲ ▼ mature trees at Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield, MO

▲ leaves

Can also occur in green-leaved forms:

▲ ▼ two trees at Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield, MO

▲ leaves from above tree

▲ ▼ tree above, with leaves, below in Japanese Garden at Missouri Botanical Garden

▲ ▼ tree above, with leaves, below in Japanese Garden at Missouri Botanical Garden

▲ trunk of above tree

Also are golden-leaved Japanese Maples:

▲ ▼ tree above, and leaves below, of tree at Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield, MO

Below is the Coral Bark Maple (Acer palmatum 'Sangku Kaku')

▲ ▼ tree at Botanical Center in Springfield, MO

▲ ▼ coral-red stems on tree

▲ ▼ coral-red stems on tree

▲ several cultivars of Japanese Maple at Japanese Stroll Garden in Springfield, MO

Location on Missouri State University campus: at all four corners of Craig Hall

Acer palmatum: Japanese Maple

  • leaves opposite, deciduous, simple, palmately 5-9-lobed; lobes very deep and serrate on margins; leaves 2-5" long and wide; species foliage color is dark green and glabrous above and below, but many cultivars have reddish leaves; may turn yellow, orange, red or purple in fall
  • stems slender, glabrous, green to red when young; gray with age
  • bark is light to dark gray and smooth
  • prefers partial shade, but can tolerate full sun (if sufficiently mulched) or deeper shade (if green color leaves); prefers moist, well-drained, high organic matter soil
  • generally grows 15-25' tall and possibly wider in open, tiered canopy; may grow 40-50' in wild and some ‘Dissectum’ cultivars may only reach 4-5' tall
  • slow to medium growth rate; faster when young
  • many cultivars/varieties exist: common ones in trade include:
    • var. atropurpureum -- has reddish leaves and stems
    • ‘Dissectum’ � has finely divided leaves almost to leaflets with more deeper serrations on lobes
  • Similar species:
    • Acer japonicum: Full-Moon Maple
      • Has similar growth habit as Japanese maples, but more and more shallow lobes than Japanese maple
    • Acer circinnatum: Vine Maple
      • U.S. native to Pacific Northwest--similar to full-moon maple, but larger growing