18 Excellent Japanese Maples

Add grace and beauty through the seasons with these Japanese maples.

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Dissectum Atropurpureum

Hogyoku

Beni Kawa

Caperci Dwarf

Higasayama

Emperor 1

Coral Bark

Sumi Nagashi

Bloodgood

Villa Taranto

Crimson Queen

Beni Schichihenge

Coonara Pygmy

Aconitifolium

Vitifolium

Green Cascade

Golden Fullmoon Maple

Autumn Moon

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Dissectum Atropurpureum

This classic variety bears deeply cut, feathery red-purple leaves that turn bright crimson in fall. We also love its graceful, weeping habit.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Atropurpureum'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 8 feet tall and wide

Zones: 6-9

Choose It Because: You want a good, small-size red cut-leaf variety.

Learn more about Japanese maples!

Hogyoku

A great time-tested selection, this mid-sized maple bears rich-green leaves that turn bright orange in autumn. It's sturdy and tolerates heat better than many other varieties.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Hogyoku'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 15 feet tall and wide

Zones: 6-9

Choose It Because: You need a variety that's heat tolerant.

Beni Kawa

A tree for all seasons, this Japanese maple features small green leaves that turn golden-yellow in fall. In winter, the plant really shines because of its clear-red stems. They look stunning against a backdrop of snow.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Beni kawa'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 15 feet tall, 12 feet wide

Zones: 6-9

Choose It Because: You want winter interest.

Caperci Dwarf

This small, slow-growing maple offers pink-tinged new growth that fades to green as the season progresses. Then in fall, the green leaves turn a nice shade of warm, glowing gold.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Caperci Dwarf'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 6 feet tall; 10 or more feet wide

Zones: 6-8

Choose It Because: You need a Japanese maple for a container or for a small space.

Higasayama

A favorite for bonsai, this selection offers pink buds that open into leaves colored in cream, green, and fuchsia. As the season progresses, the leaves fade to green, then change to glowing shades of gold and yellow in autumn.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Higasayama'

Growing conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 15 feet tall and wide

Zones: 6-8

Choose It Because: You enjoy variegated foliage.

Emperor 1

A favorite because of its dark purple-red foliage, Emperor 1 is also a good choice for northern gardens as its leaves open a bit later than most -- helping it avoid late spring frosts. It also offers brilliant scarlet-red fall color.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Wolff'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 15 feet tall and wide

Zones:5-8

Choose It Because: You want a good red-leaf type or live in the North.

Coral Bark

A good-sized tree with multi-season appeal, 'Sango-kaku' features green leaves that turn brilliant yellow in fall. After the leaves drop, the stems show off a bright coral-red color.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Sango-kaku'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 20 feet tall and 15 feet wide

Zones: 6-8

Choose It Because: You want winter interest.

Sumi Nagashi

This big variety offers deeply cut leaves and rich, purple-red foliage that looks good all spring and summer. In fall, the graceful leaves turn bright crimson.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Sumi nagashi'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size:18 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-8

Choose It Because: You want a big red cut-leaf variety.

Bloodgood

A classic, 'Bloodgood' offers deeply cut, purple-red leaves that hold their color well through the summer. Then in fall it develops striking crimson-red color.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 20 feet tall and wide

Zones: 6-8

Choose It Because: You want a time-tested big red cut-leaf variety.

Villa Taranto

This eye-catching variety offers deeply cut, spidery leaves that emerge pink in spring, then fade to bright green in summer. In autumn the leaves again change -- this time to beautiful golden yellow.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Villa Taranto'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 10 feet tall and wide

Zones: 6-8

Choose It Because: You want a small cut-leaf variety.

Crimson Queen

This stunning variety offers weeping branches of beautiful crimson-purple foliage. In autumn, the finely cut leaves turn bright crimson.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Crimson Queen'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 12 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-8

Choose It Because: You want a weeping red cut-leaf variety.

Beni Schichihenge

A smaller maple, this stunning variety offers blue-green leaves variegated in shades of pink and cream. In fall, they change to exciting shades of orange and gold. It also tends to resist leaf scorch from hot, dry weather better than many varieties.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Beni schichihenge'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 8 feet tall and wide

Zones: 6-9

Choose It Because: You want variegated foliage or a heat-resistant variety.

Coonara Pygmy

In spring, this dwarf maple unveils its pink-tinged leaves. The pink tinge fades in summer, but then in fall the tree turns a brilliant shade of orange-red. Because of its small size, this maple is well-suited to containers.

Name: Acer palmatum 'Coonara Pygmy'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 8 feet tall and wide

Zones: 6-8

Choose It Because: You need a Japanese maple for a container or for a small space.

Aconitifolium

We think this is one of the most beautiful Japanese maples. It offers deeply cut, almost ferny foliage that opens to green and turns shades of red, orange, and yellow in fall.

Name: Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium' (also called 'Maiku jaku')

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 10 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-8

Choose It Because: You need a cut-leaf Japanese maple with a great texture.

Vitifolium

A big, sturdy tree, this variety offers wide, deep green leaves that turn bright shades of gold, yellow, orange, and scarlet in autumn.

Name: Acer japonicum 'Vitifolium'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 25 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-9

Choose It Because: You need a Japanese maple that tolerates cold or warm weather well.

Green Cascade

This fullmoon maple offers lustrous, finely cut green foliage and a delicate weeping habit. If not staked, it forms a flowing mound of foliage. In fall, the leaves turn shades of red and orange.

Name: Acer japonicum 'Green Cascade'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: Groundcover to 10 feet or more

Zones: 5-7

Choose It Because: You need a good weeping variety.

Golden Fullmoon Maple

An exceptionally beautiful plant, this tree features golden-yellow leaves through the summer. In fall, the leaf tips develop red edges while the leaf center stays golden.

Name: Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 20 feet tall and wide

Zones: 5-7

Choose It Because: You need a Japanese maple with golden foliage.

Autumn Moon

Like the golden fullmoon maple, this features golden leaves. But on this variety, the leaves bear decidedly pink tones. In fall, the leaves put on a show in shades of red, orange, and yellow.

Name: Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'

Growing Conditions: Part shade and moist, well-drained soil

Size: 25 feet tall and wide

Zones:5-7

Choose It Because: You need a Japanese maple with golden leaves.

18 Excellent Japanese Maples

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