Varieties

Acer Japonicum - Acer palmatum - Acer palmatum dissectum - Acer shirasawanum

Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium'
‘Fern Leaf Maple.’ Soft green spring foliage is deeply multi-lobed and finely cut, giving a fern-like foliage appearance to the sturdy upright bushy shrub or small tree. Autumn brings a magnificent fiery display of reds, orange and yellow tones. An excellent autumn foliaged subject. 10 metres (33 feet).

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Acer palmatum cultivars
Referred to as Japanese Maples, providing a seemingly unlimited supply of choices for the ideal deciduous shrub or small tree. Collectively they can vary considerably and have almost endless ways of being beautiful, from coloured bark on bare branches through new delicate spring foliage to the vibrant shades of autumn. Many of our customers want to collect all the cultivars as it is so hard to choose a favourite.

Acer palmatum 'Aratama'
Sturdy, dwarf red leafed cultivar with lovely bright scarlet to brick-red new spring foliage, that deepens with green veining and undertones as it matures. Close nodded, compact dwarf habit. Autumn tones of bright red. 1.5 metres (5 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Beni Komachi'
The ‘Red Haired Beautiful Little Girl’. A dwarf form with densely branched, bushy habit, and arching branches. Small, long, deeply incised, lobed leaves are bright red when unfolding, turning greenish with purple to bronze overlay. Autumn tones are rich red. 1.5 metres (5 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Beni Maiko'
‘Red Haired Dancing Girl”. A medium sized shrub often wider than high with brilliant scarlet fresh spring foliage, which darkens later to green with a bronze-purple infusion of colour. Autumn tones muted. 2.5 metres (8 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Beni Otaki'
‘Red Bamboo Maple.’ Outstanding narrow linear lobed bamboo-like foliage, an attractive reddish purple shade. The very long, thin, 5 to 7 lobed leaves are gracefully held on a vigorous light and airy bush. The foliage turns a fiery scarlet in autumn. 4 metres (13 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Beni Schichihenge'
An upright, vase-shaped small bush having small leaves with deeply incised lobes. Attractive and unusual marginal variegation of bright salmon-orange, paling to cream as the leaves mature. The delicately toned foliage appreciates some dappled shade in hot summer climates. 4 metres (13 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Beni Ubi Gohan'
A linearilobum leaved form making a bushy plant with long, narrow lobed leaves of bright deep red-purple. Rounded habit and horizontal lateral branches on upright main stems. Red autumn tones. 2.5 metres (8 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'
One of the most popular of the red upright maples. Rich deep burgundy-red, without any brown or greenish tones to detract from the depth of the glowing colour. Holds the intensity of the deep red through the hot summer months better than many cultivars and is spectacular with sunlight shining through the foliage, illuminating the glowing crimson. Autumn tones are bright red. Upright round crowned small tree. 8 metres (26 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Burgundy Lace'
An upright, then arching branched large shrub or small tree, becoming a large rounded dome as wide as it is tall. The deeply incised lobed leaves have coarsely serrated margins, giving the dark reddish-purple leaves a dainty, lace-like appearance. Muted autumn tones of red. 6 metres (19 1/2 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'
A variegated selection of fresh, clean appearance. Small, serrated leaves of cream around soft green, sometimes with subtle pink tones, turning magenta in autumn. Narrow upright habit. 4 metres (13 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Chishio'
A densely branched bushy shrub, with small, five lobed leaves, opening shrimp-red, turning a coppery-salmon, then maturing to green with bronze margins. A sturdy reliable form with autumn tones of orange and red. A nice tubbed specimen, or 'front of the border' feature. 3 metres. (10 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Fireglow'
An upright well branched large shrub or small tree with typical palmatum, 5 to 7 lobed, dark wine-red foliage that keeps the intensity of colour well during hot summer conditions and is stunning when viewed in sunlight. Retains a bushier more compact habit than some similar forms. Scarlet and crimson autumn foliage tones. 6 metres (19 1/2 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Kamagata'
A dwarf, compact habit with leaves of delicate appearance. Fresh green toned with chestnut-brown giving distinction to this excellent little maple. Leaves are mid green in summer and turn bright orange and yellow in autumn. 1.5 metres (5 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Moonfire'
A compact medium to large shrub having densely held, wine red, 7 lobed leaves that mature to a dark purple. New summer shoots of bright red contrasting nicely with the dark mature foliage. Spectacular with sunlight shining through the leaves bringing out the deep fiery red tones. Crimson autumn display. A compact, smaller form, maturing to half the size of Acer p. Bloodgood. 4 metres (13 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Osakazuki'
Large bronze-green summer foliage, turns an intense glowing crimson in autumn. The vibrant red leaves on the dark purple branchlets are a beautiful sight. Grown for centuries in Japan and remaining one of the most spectacular autumn foliaged trees in cultivation. Upright habit with spreading crown. 6 metres (19 1/2 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Pixie'
A ‘witch’s broom’ form, selected from ‘Bloodgood’. Vigorous and stiffly-upright when young, becoming bushy and compact with maturity. Leaves are a vibrant, deep-rich-red when young, pertly held and contrasting nicely against the rich-dark, black-red mature foliage. Autumn tones are showy bright red shades. 2.5 metres (8 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Red Emperor'
A superb new selection with large deep rich burgundy-purple leaves that glow intense red with sunlight shining through them. Destined to be the new ‘Bloodgood’ and reported to hold depth of summer colour better than ‘Emperor 1’ in hot southern climates. Autumn tones are extraordinary vibrant glowing crimson-red rivalling ‘Osakazuki’ in its depth of colour. An upright branching strong vigorous grower developing a broad rounded crown with maturity. 7 metres (23 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Scolopendrifolium'
Leaves with 7 linear segments, deeply incised, long, narrow, and thin. Bright green with a soft and dainty appearance. Young vigorous shoots often have broader lobed, more typical palmate foliage. New tips sometimes tinted soft salmon tones. Autumn colouration is a soft yellow. Upright, bushy, graceful habit. 4 metres (13 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Senkaki' (synonym 'Sango Kaku')
‘Coral Bark Maple’ A shrubby upright small tree that features the bark of young branches and twigs a fiery coral red in winter, becoming light yellowishred in summer. The winter bark is a very ornamental and conspicuous feature, together with the golden yellow autumn foliage tinged with orange. Bright lime-green Spring shoots contrast well with the red bark. An attractive cultivar that performs well even in milder climates. 5 metres 16 1/2 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Shaina'
A dwarf, dense, twiggy, ‘witches broom’ sport of ‘Bloodgood’. Grows upright and vigorously at first. Growth slows with age, becoming a tightly congested small shrub with bright red new growths, contrasting nicely with the mature maroon-red foliage. An excellent small maple for bonsai, patio containers or rock gardens. 1 metre (3 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Sharps Pygmy'
A compact slow growing, densely branched shrublet with small, deeply incised lobed palmate leaves of rich green. Maintaining a neat bushy form throughout the seasons. Autumn tones of orange and gold. An excellent bonsai and patio tub specimen. 1 metre (3 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Skeeters Broom'
A dwarf witches broom mutation from ‘Bloodgood’. Strong growing shoots becoming dense and twiggy the second season, making a thick, congested bush of rugged outline. Foliage opens rich bright reddish-purple in spring, becoming bronze-green in summer. Autumn tones of crimson. 2 metres (6 1/2 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Trompenburg'
An upright, somewhat open branched small tree. Large 7 lobed, glossy purple leaves are deeply divided, the margins roll downward, accentuating the divisions, giving a unique convex form to the leaf. The rich leaf colour becomes a little subdued in summer, but assumes bright scarlet tones in autumn. 7 metres (23 feet)

Acer palmatum 'Ukigumo'
‘Floating Cloud’ Maple. An outstanding variegated form, having a blend of subtle pastel combinations quite unlike other bolder forms. The base leaf colour is a light pastel green, with most leaves irregularly shaded with pink and white speckles, especially towards the margins and tips. The variegation is not garish, but a soft subtle blend of tones. A smallish shrub preferring dappled shade. Juvenile shoots may be plain green the first season but return to soft variegated tones the second season. 2.5 metres (8 feet)

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Acer palmatum dissectum - Lace Leaf Maples
Special selections chosen for their graceful, weeping habit and finely dissected foliage. Forming a lovely rounded head, ideal in larger landscape settings or equally suited to small garden sites.

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Baldsmith'
A large spreading and low mounding form, with the typical deeply incisedlobed leaves that are finely cut and dissected, giving a delicate lace-like appearance. This cultivar however, besides the differing wider spreading form, has spring foliage tones in fresh mid green with a pinkish-purple suffusion, particularly towards the margins. This deepens to a bronze and green combination in summer, and in autumn, turns a showy bright red. 3.5 metres (11 1/2 feet) in low work form.

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Crimson Queen'
The standard for red dissectums. Retains deep red purple foliage colouring for much of the Summer. Autumn tones are fiery scarlet. An outstanding red - purple small weeping tree. 1 - 3 metres (3-10 feet) depending on form.

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Garnet'
The outstanding feature of this dissectum cultivar is its colour and vigour. The deeply incised narrow but coarsely divided leaf lobes are a rich deep purple, with reddish-orange infusion, somewhat like the gemstone garnet. A vigorous form with strong growths up to 1 metre long. Retains colour well in hot summer conditions. 1 - 3 metres (3-10 feet) depending on form.

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Inaba Shidare' (synonym 'Red Select')
Leaves very dark wine-red, retaining their intensity of colour well. Autumn tones often muted but becoming bright crimson in good seasons. Not as strong or as bushy as ‘Garnet’ which is similar, or as richly toned as ‘Red Dragon’. 1 - 3 metres (3-10 feet) depending on form.

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Lionheart'
A differing Duncan & Davies dissectum selection with an upright trunk and horizontally arranged branches that are drooping at the tips. Strong, small tree like form, differing from the typically mushroom shaped dissectum weeping forms. Not quite as upright and arching as ‘Seiryu’. Having a tiered and layered appearance with attractive oriental character, becoming broadly dome shaped when mature. The foliage is purple-red in spring becoming bronzed in mid summer. Autumn tones red and orange. 4 metres (13 feet)

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Palmatifidium' (synonyms 'Washi No O' or 'Paucum')
A fast growing mushroom shaped shrub similar in width to height. Leaves with coarser lobes, less finely dissected – more coarsely serrated. Soft green spring tones maturing to darker green in summer with autumn tones of pale yellow. Less susceptible to damage from dehydrating winds than other dissectum cultivars. 1 - 3 metres (3-10 feet) depending on form.

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Seiryu'
A distinctive green leaved dissectum with upright growth habit. The leaves are deeply dissected. The fine lacy growing tips are bright green, contrasting beautifully with the darker green of the mature foliage. A subtle gold-yellowcrimson colour in autumn. Quick growing upright vase shaped habit. 6 metres (19 1/2 feet)

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Tamukeyama'
The most vigorous red dissectum cultivar that Duncan & Davies grow. Strong heavily formed branches. Excellent deep red-purple dissected foliage. Soon changes to fiery scarlet autumn tones. 1 - 3 metres (3-10 feet) depending on form.

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Viridis'
New fresh, soft green spring foliage. Leaves delicately lace-like, dissected, turn lime green in summer. Spectacular autumn tones of fiery gold and orange. Soft mounding habit. 1 - 3 metres (3-10 feet) depending on form.

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Acer shirasawanum

Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum'
‘Full Moon Maple.’ Leaves wide fanned, almost round, with 9 to 13 lobes, lime-yellow turning golden-yellow and red shades in autumn. An upright small slow growing tree. 5 metres (16 1/2 feet)

Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'
The attractive soft yellow, broadly fanned foliage is suffused with a light orange-red glow, giving a warmth to the pertly displayed foliage on the spreading branches. Upright and rounded in habit. 5 metres (16 1/2 feet)

Acer shirasawanum 'Palmatifolium'
A bushy, large shrub or small tree. Leaves of fresh green, 11 lobed and deeply divided, turning yellow and orange tones in autumn. 6 metres (19 1/2 feet)

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