Plant in Spotlight - Japanese Maple

This is one of our favorite plants at Planting the Seed.

The Japanese maple undergoes one of the most brilliant color changes in the fall and it's one of our most recommended trees. In fact, the leaves are so beautiful, that when they fall you won't even want to rake them up!

The Japanese Maple is a staple in Japanese gardens around the world. Here's one from a local Japanese garden.

Photograph by Brandon McLeod

(This image is from our post on the Japanese Garden in Mobile, Alabama)

This tree, Acer palmatum, is native to Japan, China, parts of Russia and Mongolia, as well as North and South Korea. They grow up to about 30 ft in height, but can, in rare cases, reach 52 ft.

Kingdom:               Plantae
Phylum:           Angiospermae
(unranked):                Eudicots
(unranked):                   Rosids
Order:              Sapindales
Family:        Sapindaceae[1]
Genus:                         Acer
Species:            A. palmatum

Apart for their gorgeous color, the smaller Japanese maples tend to grow in a dome form, so, if space isn't an issue, pruning is unnecessary.

from theindoorbonsaitree.com

Did you know you can even grow it as a bonsai?

from bonsai-made-easy.com

If you love the Japanese Maple, but don't have one, now is a great time to get on in the ground! Visit our About Us Page to ask us what you need to do to get this going and growing in your yard!




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