Acer palmatum – Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum or Japanese Maple provide excellent colour and structure to the garden. Green, yellow, orange to dark red, they help to break up a sea of greenery. Colours changing through the season and bare skeletons in the late autumn and winter months.

Here in our focus image, we have two similar but distinct varieties. The name palmatum comes from the similarity to the human hand or palm with leaves spread out like fingers. These fingers can be dissected as in the far Acer or doubly dissected as in the near Acer. The double dissection making the leaves like feathers.

There are also two basic structures here. The far Japanese Maple is an upright Acer, whilst the near is more of a weeping Acer. The weeping structure provides a pleasing dome shape to the plant.