General Information - Acer Palmatum brings year round interest, with many kinds of foliage shapes, colors and textures. Fall foliage is scarlet, orange or yellow and winter branches are green or red. Acer Palmatum is native to Japan or Korea and is a slow growing tree. In California, they need shelter from hot dry winds. Filtered shade is best, although in some cooler areas they can take full sun.

Acer Palmatum make good container plants for a patio or deck. However, there are some simple guidelines that should be followed. Choose a variety that will stay small. Use a good pot that will drain well. The pot should be filled with a good potting soil that will drain fast, yet hold moisture within the soil. Place the container in a partly shaded area where it will be protected from the wind. Ensure you keep the soil moist and remember, plants in containers dry out faster than those in the ground. Finally, keep supplying the plant with nutrients while it is in leaf, a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote indoor/outdoor will work well with Acer Palmatum.

Popular species - Atropurpureum, Bloodgood, Burgundy Lace, Crimson queen, Dissectum, Ornatum, Oshio Beni, Red Dragon.

Nursery Notes - The soil can be crucial for Acer Palmatum. They do not like a lot of dissolved salt in the soil. Plants that have been exposed to too much dissolved salt will look as if the edges of the leaves have been burned. Providing you have a good moisture retaining, but quick draining soil in your garden, you can flood the area around the tree to leach the salt out of the soil. Occasional leaching of the soil with water will move salt below the plant and away from the root area. This soil leaching can be used in combination with gypsite and a soil penetrant to increase the effectiveness of the procedure. If you have a lot of dissolved salt in your soil, you may want to consider planting Acer Palmatum in a raised bed. This way, you can control the type of soil that it grows in.

If you have an area where Rhododendrons or Azaleas grow well, this would be a good area for Acer Palmatum.

Additional help - The following information sheets may help you with this plant

Planting from containers