Click here to see all Japanese Maple varieties

• Small pretty (but not showy) reddish flowers appear in umbrella-shaped clusters in spring and give way to small winged fruit (samaras) which ripen in early fall before being scattered by the wind.
• The foliage of palmate leaves resembles an open hand with outstretched fingers, with 5, 7 or 9 pointed serrated lobes. 

Click here to compare all Japanese Maples

• Full sun or part shade lovers, Japanese Maples are easily grown in moist, organically rich, slightly acidic, well-drained soils. Best leaf color in partial shade, although full sun can be tolerated. The green varieties of Japanese Maples take full sun very well, although they may slightly sunburn in particularly hot situations. Variegated cultivars prefer partial shade and need protection from the blistering afternoon sun. The red varieties need significant sunlight to color well while yellows require more shade.
• Japanese Maples are widely used as specimen plants in cottage gardens, city gardens, rock gardens, companion plants in mixed borders, or planted in large containers.

Click here to see all Garden Ideas with Japanese Maples

• Japanese Maples need little pruning. If pruning is necessary, prune during the dormant season and avoid pruning in spring when the sap is running.
• Japanese Maples are easy to plant. They are shallow-rooted and will readily transplant during the dormant season.
• May be affected by horse chestnut scale, aphids, and verticillium wilt.
• Propagate by grafting or softwood cuttings.

The rich diversity of shapes, sizes, leaves, and colors make Japanese Maples invaluable additions to the landscape, whether as specimen plants, complementing container plants, mixed with bedding or border plants, in shady courtyards or sunny patios.