ACER continued
last updated 10/12/2017



Don't forget that most of the Acers are available in larger sizes. 

We find that Acers establish better from a larger plant. They are priced by age not by size - the latter varies enormously between cultivars. The older (ie more expensive) plants will be bigger of course, within the parameters of the habit of that particular cultivar. But the most important thing is that they will better branched and more substantial. Thus they have more energy reserve within themselves, and can "live off their fat" to a greater degree until established. If a small plant gets frosted in the spring, it doesn't always have enough energy to be able to sprout a second time. A larger plant will have that extra reserve, and is up out of the frost that much more anyway.

Please contact me for details of availability, price and size. Not all cultivars are available in all sizes all of the time!



ACER palmatum 'Aka shigitatsu sawa'

See Acer palmatum 'Beni shigitatsu sawa'


ACER palmatum 'Ake garasu'
Coming soon...

ACER palmatum 'Alpenweiss'
What an amazing colour this one is! The deeply divided leaves are so symmetrically variegated; with a rich pink margin fading to almost cream in the middle where it meets a vivid green band along the mid ribs. As with all variegated cultivars, shade is valuable. The photo on the left shows the new growth just starting to unfurl, whilst the photo on the right is representative of its full summer colour. We rarely propagate this one so it is seldom available.

ACER palmatum 'Amagi shigure'
I'm told that the name means "soft drizzle', but don't let that dampen your enthusiasm for this lovely and indeed unique cultivar. The deeply divided leaves have a beautiful shape without even considering the colour. In spring the pink veining is exquisite, then the purple tones richen through summer before turning bright red in autumn. It forms a fairly squat shrubby tree, of gently arching habit. It will have best colour with good light, but avoid too much exposure - a little protection afforded by surrounding planting is ideal.

ACER palmatum 'Amber Ghost'
Talon Buchholz of Buchholz Nursery in Oregon is responsible for the recent Ghost Series of maples. Typical of this series are the almost variegated reticulated leaves where the veins are dramatically contrasted within the leaf. This cultivar is characterised by bright purple new bark, whilst the leaves offer all manner of colours. There are tones of amber, greenish lavender as well as darker purples, particularly around the edges; all varying through the season and according to light levels. The autumn finale gives gold and orange colours. A little shade from the hottest sun is helpful, but too much shade will diminish the colour intensities. This gorgeous maple develops a bushy, rounded habit, potentially some 3m in all directions. A personal favourite of mine.
See it in our Maple Glade.

ACER palmatum 'Aoba Jo' 
A strong growing dwarf shrub with surprisingly large leaves. Lush bluish green leaves have contrasting bronze margins, particularly when young, developing primarily yellow autumn tints. This cultivar seems consistently earlier into leaf in the spring than most. This doesn't necessarily make it more vulnerable to spring frost - it simply depends when the frosts come! It can even be an advantage since the earliest growth can have time to ripen, enabling them to survive a late frost. It's difficult to give a height guide for this one...supposedly it's a dwarf - but given long enough it can exceed 2m for sure. Dense bushy habit. 

ACER palmatum 'Aoyagi' 
The name means "Green Willow" and refers to the bright lime green winter bark colour. Try it combined with 'Sangokaku' for a spectacular contrast or enjoy it in a sophisticated palate of greens. Upright habit with small green leaves giving lovely yellow autumn colour. 3-4m. It has now been deemed that Acer palmatum 'Ukon' is actually synonymous with this.
See it in our Maple Glade.

ACER palmatum 'Arakawa ukon'
One of the toughest small palmatums, with a similar bark effect to that of 'Nishiki gawa' which we've enjoyed for a number of years, but much, much smaller. The difference here is essentially yellow autumn colour (rather than red) and a much more compact habit. The bark similarly gradually develops the corkiness associated with pine trees. The smaller leaves are perfectly in proportion with the smaller stature. 
See it planted in our Quarry Garden. 

ACER palmatum 'Ariadne' 
A recent introduction from Holland where it was named after the raiser's grand-daughter. The deeply cut (but not lacy) purple leaves are vividly marked with pink and white with conspicuous veining. I also find the winter bark attractive. One of my long term favourites, but it is very noticeable how the exact leaf colour can vary according to light levels. In a more heavily shaded site (under woodland canopy for example) then the over-riding colour will be green. The purple tones will come through in a more open, sunnier site. Expect in excess of 2m high with broad, arching habit.
See it in our Maple Glade.

ACER palmatum 'Asa hizuru' 
"Maple of the morning sun" Japanese sunrises must be quite amazing if this plant is anything to go by! A vigorous upright grower once established, despite its dramatic pink and white variegation. The young stems are also quite pink. The colour can diminish if the plant is growing too strongly. Avoid full sun to prevent leaf scorch. 3-4m 
See also Acer palmatum 'Orido nishiki' though we rarely propagate these highly variegated cultivars as they are harder to grow here on our exposed site.

ACER palmatum 'Asian Queen'
coming soon...

ACER palmatum 'Autumn Glory' 
Derived from the handsome specimens at The Garden House, Buckland Monochorum, some 30+ years ago. The deeply divided leaves have comparatively narrow lobes. Bronze tinted young growth becomes fundamentally green in the summer, but the name gives away their raison d'être though - all manner of colours can be seen, although my favourite stage has the leaves yellow with a bright red edge. It forms a compact, broad headed, bushy small tree to about 3m. 
See it planted above our Quarry Garden.

ACER palmatum 'Autumn Showers'
Not yet widely documented, this looks to be a superb cultivar. For once the name is very descriptive! The leaves are deeply divided which enhances the elegance of the arching habit. Green through the summer, autumn colours are truly spectacular, seemingly encompassing the complete spectrum of yellows, oranges and reds as the season progresses.
See it in our Maple Glade.

ACER palmatum 'Azuma murasaki'
"The purple of the East" The deeply divided leaves are a purplish red with an undertone of green showing through, contrasting well with striking bright red petioles. Seed pods are freely produced in this cultivar; they are bright red so another fabulous contrast. White pubescens (hairs) on the young growth gives an attractive "dusty" appearance. Potentiall eventually to 6m tall with graceful rounded habit and cascading outer branches. This is such a fabulous cultivar with subtle colouring and multi-season interest.
See it in our Maple Glade. 

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