Most of our readers can probably picture a Japanese Maple in their mind’s eye: a short, slender tree with gray bark and a puff of deep crimson leaves. You might be surprised to learn that that’s only one variety within a hugely diverse species. Gardeners in Japan have been cultivating this exquisite landscaping tree for hundreds of years, producing a huge array of different cultivars in the process. Just how many types of Japanese Maple exist? And how can you choose the right one for your garden?
There are more than 1,000 types of Japanese Maple in cultivation. They can be divided into two broad categories: “upright” Japanese Maples, with leaves that splay outward, and “weeping” Japanese Maples, with draping, trailing foliage. You can also classify them based on leaf shape, foliage color, and type of bark.
We explain how to draw these distinctions in more detail below, while sharing some of our favorite cultivars. Obviously, we can’t cover every variety of this diverse, gorgeous species, but we’ll provide a glimpse into the variety among Japanese Acer plants. And we’ll share some suggestions on what types of Japanese Maple might work well for different purposes.
What All Types of Japanese Maples Have In Common
Before we start showing off the different types of Japanese Maples, let’s talk about what unifies them. One important similarity is the shape of the leaves. They tend to resemble the outstretched palms and fingers of human hands due to their long, slender, and highly distinct lobes. In Japan, it’s common to say that a baby’s tiny hands are “like tiny maple leaves”. Some types of Japanese Maple have five lobes, while others have seven or nine.
Part of the appeal of these plants comes from the vivid shades of yellow, orange, and red that infuse their foliage in the autumn. Some kinds have red or purple leaves all through the growing season as well. Others have brightly colored bark that keeps them looking vibrant all winter long.
In the wild, Japanese Maples often grow in the full or partial shade of taller trees. Some varieties can get quite tall given enough time, though. It’s also common for a single Japanese Maple tree to have several trunks that join together just above the soil.
Like many plants, variety is built right into the genome of these trees. If you try to raise a Japanese Maple from seed, chances are that it will look very different from its parents. That’s why professionals propagate them by grafting. It’s a much more reliable way to get them to reproduce true to type.
How to Identify And Categorize Japanese Maples
Arborists use several broad descriptive categories to identify important features of Japanese Maple trees. Remember these terms if you want to sound like a real expert when talking to your landscaper about your trees!
Japanese Maple Leaf Color Types
Some types of Japanese Maples are classified based on the colors of their foliage. Here are the main categories:
Atropurpureum
This name sounds like something you would chant to summon a demon in a horror movie. In reality, it’s a term for a well-loved category of Japanese Maple. Atropurpureum leaves are always red, not just in the fall, and they splay out wide rather than drooping down. The lobes are wide and distinct.
Examples: “Bloodgood”, “Fireglow”
Aureum
These leaves change colors throughout the growing season, beginning as bright orange or yellow in spring and shifting to lime green or yellow-green in summer. The coloration deepens to a darker yellow or orange in the fall.
Examples: “Autumn Moon”, “Summer Gold”
Corallinum
Another color-changing variety, Corallinum leaves begin as pale or bright pink, shift to red, then turn green for the summer, and finally red again in the fall. They’re often called “spring trees” in Japan since they add some variety to the springtime colors of a landscape.
Examples: “Rubrun”, “Amber Ghost”
Marginatum
The leaves of Marginatum Japanese Maples have different colors at the borders than in the inner portions. In many cases, the edges are creamy white or yellow, creating bright highlights that make it easy to pick out individual leaves. Others have stunning fuschia borders that form a gorgeous contrast with the green of the inner leaf.
Examples: “Shirazz”, “Butterfly”
Variegatum
Any type of stable variegation that doesn’t fit the Marginatum pattern falls in this group. Dapples, stripes, flares, and streaks of color on the foliage mean you’re looking at a Variegatum.
Examples: “Uki Gumo”, “Orido Nishiki”
Reticulatum
Leaves in this category are also defined by color contrast, but in this case, the parts that stand out are the veins. This gives them an intriguing textured appearance that can be very pleasing to the eye. They’re often referred to as “Reticulated Japanese Maples”.
Examples: “Ariadne”, “Blonde Beauty”
Japanese Maple Leaf Shape Types
Oher Japanese Maples are classified based on the distinctive shapes of their leaves rather than their colors:
Dissectum
This type of foliage features long, skinny lobes that are so widely spaced that you might mistake them for separate leaves. They’re also dissected, meaning the individual lobes have deep notches along the sides that give them a fringed, tasseled look. This type of Japanese Maple is often called a “Laceleaf” or “Threadleaf”.
Examples: “Garnet”, “Red Dragon”
Linearilobum
The long and slender lobes of the Linearilobum Japanese Maples are similar to those of the Dissectum, but without the saw-toothed, tattered edges. This gives them a somewhat spidery, alien appearance that can be very striking. They can grow with either upright or weeping foliage. Sometimes they’re referred to as “Ribbon-Leaf Japanese Maples”.
Examples: “Atrolineare”, “Red Spider”
Witches’ Broom
A typical Japanese Maple leaf has its longest lobe in the middle, much like the middle finger of a human hand. The Witches’ Broom is the exception. These leaves have a short, stubby central lobe that’s often noticeably smaller than those around it.
Examples: “Skeeter’s Broom”, “Carlis Corner Broom”
Crispum
Japanese Maple leaves are typically quite flat, but the Crispum group has rumpled-looking or folded leaves. They also tend to be somewhat fringed at the edges. Trees in this group are often on the smaller side.
Examples: “Shishigashira”, “Krazy Krinkle”
Convexum
The “fingers” of Convexum leaves curl down at the edges, giving them a rounded, almost tubular look. They also tend to be fairly long and skinny.
Examples: “Pévé Starfish”, “Trompenburg”
Palmatum
We’re not huge fans of this category name, because it’s easy to confuse it with the species A. palmatum. The types of Japanese Maple with the most hand-like leaves get this classification (unless they have another major characteristic that would place them in a different group). They generally have five lobes, though a rare few have seven, and they aren’t as dramatically spaced as some of the others we’ve mentioned above.
Examples: “Diana”
Sessilifolium
A rare group with few well-known cultivars, the Sessilifolium Japanese Maples are defined by their petioles — or rather, the lack thereof. For those who aren’t familiar, the petiole is the small stalk that attaches the base of a leaf to the branch. The Sessilifolium group doesn’t have this part. Instead, the individual lobes of each leaf appear to spring right from the branch.
Examples: “Beni Hagoromo”
Amoenum
This is sort of a catch-all category. Any Japanese Maple that lacks one of the defining characteristics listed above is classed as an Amoenum. Their leaves are green in the summer and they don’t have the deep, dramatically separated lobes of some of the varieties listed above. But the lack of a specific tell-tale feature doesn’t mean they’re boring! Many Amoenum Japanese Maples have intensely colorful fall foliage.
Examples: “Osakazuki”
Japanese Maple Bark Types
Finally, some Japanese Maples are defined by the distinctive appearance of their bark:
Red Wood
This means just what it sounds like. The bark of these Japanese Maples is bright red, orange, or pink, meaning they provide a vivid pop of color even after their leaves drop off. They do often die back somewhat during the winter, though.
Examples: “Sango Kaku”, “Eddisbury”
Pinebark
Rather than the smooth exterior found on other types of Japanese Maple, the Pinebarks have rough, crackly surface. There are very few trees in this group, but they make lovely additions to a wide range of landscapes.
Examples: “Nishiki Gawa”
The Best Types of Japanese Maple For Every Job
Now that you have an idea of the variety among Japanese Maples, let’s review some of the greatest hits. There are far too many options to make a simple “best of” list, but we can explain which Japanese Maples are good for specific purposes. Hopefully, you’ll come away with a few ideas for trees that will fit your own lawn or garden.
What Are the Tallest Types of Japanese Maple?
This question doesn’t have a simple answer, because the size of Japanese Maples can vary enormously based on their environment and their age. In the United States, the taller cultivars tend to reach between 15 and 25 feet tall within the average gardener’s lifespan. But certain ancient maples in Japan have been growing for centuries, often at sacred shrines where they’re treated with reverence. Some have reached 60 feet or more in height.
So the “maximum” heights that most garden suppliers list for Japanese Maples are often understated. But they do offer a decent sense of how high your maple might reach while you’re still around to witness it!
Unfortunately, Japanese Maples are never going to make anyone’s list of the fastest-growing trees. They do grow faster when they’re young, but that translates to a typical rate of 1-2 feet per year. You’ll likely need to wait 10-15 years for them to reach their mature height, so patience is a must. These trees tend to grow best in partial shade, and they prefer mild, temperate, climates with lots of rain and clouds. The Pacific Northwest is probably the best environment for Japanese Maples in the United States.
Here are some of the bigger options:
Bloodgood
This is what most people imagine when they picture a Japanese Maple tree. Its leaves have the classic Acer palmatum hand shape and tend toward a rich wine-red color. They sometimes take on green notes if grown in full sunlight, though, and they turn a brighter red in the fall. The mature height can range from 15-20 feet. The Bloodgood is quite hardy, tolerating both cold winters and hot summers.
Sango Kaku
The Sango Kaku is one of the tallest Japanese Maple cultivars, with a typical mature height of 20-25 feet. Its wide spread of roughly 20 feet provides a decent amount of shade once it’s full-sized. This is also one of the best picks if you want your garden to stay colorful year-round. Sango Kaku means “coral tower” in Japanese, and in English it’s often called the Coral Bark Maple. The name comes from the bright pink hue of its trunk and branches. It looks quite dramatic next to the tree’s chartreuse leaves or peeking out from a blanket of snow.
Osakazuki
This may be the fastest-growing type of Japanese Maple that’s widely available. It’s not uncommon for it to reach 20 feet in height within 10 years. It’s not as wide-spreading as the Coral Bark Maple — the shape is more rounded, forming a single puffball of foliage. The leaves are a standard green color during the summer, but they turn all the colors of the sunset in autumn.
Lionheart
This Laceleaf Japanese Maple was first cultivated in Australia. The Lionheart is a great choice if you want a tallish tree that also has trailing leaves. Most “weeping” Japanese Maples tend to grow more like shrubs, but the Lionheart can stretch up to 15-18 feet high. Its slender, toothy lobes begin as a pinkish color but deepen to blood-red for the summer.
What Are the Smallest Types of Japanese Maple?
Since Japanese Maples are extremely popular bonsai plants, enthusiasts have worked hard to breed dwarf varieties. Once again, the actual sizes of these trees depend a great deal on how you grow them. With proper pruning, it should be fairly easy to keep the following varieties below 5 feet tall if desired. The sizes listed below are based on the assumption that you’re growing these in your garden, not in pots.
Some superb dwarf Japanese Maple varieties include:
Beni Hime
The name of this plant means Red Princess in Japanese, and its foliage lives up to the name. It starts off the growing season bright red, then shifts to green with red highlights in summer, and finally takes on deep scarlet and purple tones in autumn. The leaves are compact, only 1-1.5 inches across, and the tree itself typically tops out at 3-4 feet in height.
Lemon Lime Lace
As you can probably guess from the name, this is a Laceleaf Japanese Maple, with slender, deeply notched lobes. It’s quite small, often reaching no more than two feet high after 10 years. The foliage is a bright yellow-green color, leaning toward yellow if grown in full sun and more toward green in the shade. Autumn changes this color to a fiery mix of red, orange, and yellow.
Shigashira
This is one of the most popular crinkly-leafed Japanese Maples. It’s a great choice if you want a dwarf Maple with an upright growth habit. The foliage grows in large, shaggy clusters, which is probably why this is often called the Lion’s Head or Lion’s Mane Japanese Maple. It can reach up to 15 feet tall in time, but it’s a slow grower, so it’s easy to keep it smaller if desired.
Fairy Hair
The thin, thread-like leaves of this cultivar make its foliage almost look like a cloud of greenish mist. The sharp contrast with the bright pink bark only adds to the ethereal effect. The Fairy Hair Japanese Maple is prized by container gardeners and bonsai growers. It’s a tiny dwarf variety, with a typical height of roughly 3 feet after 10 years.
Which Types Of Japanese Maple Are Best For Cold Weather?
Japanese Maples are good trees for the temperate climates that prevail throughout much of the United States. They grow well in USDA Climate Zones 5-9. For reference, the region just south of the Great Lakes has a Zone 5 climate, while Zone 9 is more like southern Texas or central Florida.
Just because a plant can tolerate a certain temperature doesn’t mean it will like it, though. Many varieties of Japanese Maple won’t reach anything like their full potential in colder weather. Which cultivars should you choose if you’re in a more northerly part of the country?
Some of the hardiest varieties have already been mentioned above. The Bloodgood, the Shigashira, and, surprisingly enough, the wispy-looking Fairy Hair are all decent cold-weather choices. Here are a few others:
- Inaba Shidare. A short, cascading Japanese Maple with bold red dissected leaves.
- Katsura. This variety sprouts its hand-shaped, red-accented leaves early in the spring.
- Beni Kawa. The Beni Kawa is another Japanese Maple with beautiful red-pink bark, and it can withstand cold winters even better than the Sango-Kaku.
- Velvet Viking. A copyrighted Laceleaf cultivar said to be tolerant of climates as cold as Zone 4.
Some growers have also crossed Japanese Maples with the Korean species A. pseudosieboldianum, creating a hybrid that can handle Zone 4 temperatures. Here are a few examples:
- Ice Dragon. A small variety with dissected leaves like a classic Laceleaf Japanese Maple.
- North Wind. This palmate cultivar turns a blazing scarlet in the fall.
- Northern Glow. One of the tallest of these novel varieties, capable of reaching up to 20 feet in height.
What Are The Rarest, Most Expensive Types of Japanese Maple?
Japanese Maples have a reputation for being fairly expensive, but there are certain rare varieties that command even higher prices. We’ve already touched on two of them — the Fairy Hair and the Shigashira are both in high demand. What other types of Japanese Maple will be enticing to collectors?
Beni Hagoromo
A mid-sized Japanese Maple with a mature height of around 12 feet. Its leaves have a distinctive feathery shape that gives this cultivar a unique look. The foliage starts out as a bold, bright red, shading into green as the summer settles in.
Ariadne
This reticulated Acer palmatum has bold green veins accenting leaves that shift between bright red and dusky purple-pink. It’s a fairly slow-growing dwarf variety that likes a bit of shade but needs a good amount of sun to develop its best coloration.
Seiryu
Most Japanse Maples with lacy, dissected leaves have a “weeping” habit in which their foliage cascades down like willow branches. The Seiryu is an exception, growing boldly upright while still showing off beautiful, deeply notched green leaves.
Shin Deshojo
Some people consider this tree to be the champion of colorful spring foliage. Its palmate leaves emerge in a burst of incredibly bright pinkish-red and stay that way for weeks. In the summer, they’ll settle into a more muted, speckled green, then flash an orange-red in the fall.
Enkan
This rare Threadleaf Japanese Maple has incredibly long leaf lobes with a dark maroon color. It’s a small to mid-sized tree that usually tops out between 7 and 12 feet tall. The long, delicate “fingers” give it a look that’s both elegant and a little eerie.
Final Thoughts
There are enough different types of Japanese Maple that it would take a lifetime to become familiar with all of them. If you decide to make a hobby of collecting these delightful trees, you’ll never run short of gorgeous varieties to explore. We hope you’ve enjoyed learning a bit about the stunning diversity Japanese Maples have to offer.