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Back to Landscape Plants    |   Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum - Japanese Maple Hardiness USDA Zones 6 - 8. Some cultivars are hardy to zone 5B, and some can take the heat in zone 9A Climate Map Light Partial or filtered shade is best in warmer regions. The purple-leaved cultivars require full sun or their leaves will be green. Soil Likes well drained soil that is neutral to acid Water Not drought tolerant. Does best with regular watering Habit The species usually stays about 15-20 ft (4.6-6 m) tall and wide, but can get larger under ideal conditions. Flowers Small and inconspicuous. It is known for its beautiful foliage and form Comments: Japanese maple is a deciduous shrub or small tree with a broad, rounded shape. The canopy is wispy and delicate, and in some cultivars, weeping. The palmate leaves are 2-5 in (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. This is one of the most beautiful small trees for the ornamental landscape. It is perfectly suited as a specimen tree, an accent in a mixed border, or in a container on the patio. Many of the cultivars remain quite small and are especially useful in small gardens, even rock gardens, and for bonsai. The brilliant fall foliage lights up the garden, and the slender twigs and branches provide winter interest.

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