Bonsai 6 seed Acer Palmatum Atropurpureum "Japanese red maple"

Acer Palmatum Atropurpurea

6 seeds

"Japanese red maple"

Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, is a deciduous shrub or small tree with a broad, rounded shape. Native to China, Korea and Japan, this lovely plant is greatly admired and is grown in temperate gardens and landscapes all over the world. This red 'ATTROPURPUREUM" variety is possibly even more beautiful than the standard and more commonly offered version and it is one of the most beautiful small trees for an ornamental landscape. It is perfectly suited as a specimen tree, an accent in a mixed border, or in a container on the patio. It anchors the Japanese style garden.

The brilliant autumn foliage lights up the garden, and the slender twigs and contorted branches provide winter interest. The canopy is wispy and delicate, and in some cultivars, weeping. The species usually stays about 4 to 6 m tall and wide, but can get larger under ideal conditions. It has slender, glabrous twigs and smooth gray bark. Branches tend to grow in horizontal layers, and often are contorted and twisted, and some specimens have more than one main trunk. The palmate leaves are 5-13 cm long and wide, and deeply dissected with 5 to 11 lobes. The lobes are lance shaped, sharply pointed at the tips and doubly toothed on the edges. Acer palmatum attropurpureum is famous for its autumn display when leaves turn brilliant shades of deep red.

It needs a fertile, well drained, acidic soil with filtered to full shade, the latter being best in warmer regions. It will take sub-tropical heat. Highly frost resistant it is not drought tolerant and needs regular watering.

Japanese maple will grow from seeds, and seedlings tend to be faster growing, stronger and more drought tolerant than cultivars.