Acer palmatum - native to the forests of Korea and China and have been cultivated in Japan for over three hundred years.There are three main types of Japanese Acer, each with their own distinct characteristics: Any prostrate variety can be used for bonsai but it takes time and requires some specialist knowledge. Bonsai plants are often displayed in Japanese houses in special niches for interesting objects. Finally, Japanese Maples make the ideal subjects for the ancient Japanese and Chinese art of bonsai, which uses living trees to create objects that can grace a dining table or terrace.Having said this, they can fit into virtually any garden style and combine well with other shade-loving plants such as Holly, Rhododendrons and Azaleas in the border, so don't think you have to have the 'right' type of garden. Their Far Eastern 'feel' makes them well suited to Japanese-themed plantings.The stately form of upright varieties makes them perfect for using as feature trees or specimens, which also suits their requirements as the shallow, spreading fibrous root systems doesn't cope well with nearby competition.Under-planting below pine trees or other varieties with narrow or needle-like foliage that allows some dappled sunlight to filter through make good locations. They will succeed beneath evergreen trees on the north or east-facing side where they can still catch some sun, but the continuous shade directly beneath dense evergreens is not ideal.

Prostrate and low-growing trees are ideal for smaller gardens and under-planting larger trees.

They also look striking in small groupings if space allows.

Dome-forming and cascading trees are best planted at the top of a slope or wall or next to water, which will show off their beauty much better than planting on flat ground.

Young trees don't require a large pot, but remember smaller containers will require frequent watering, especially in summer. This allows your tree to be taken to a more prominent location during times of seasonal interest and to adjust the amount of sunlight it receives. Japanese Acers are perfect for growing in patio containers or planters.There are over 1,000 different cultivars, so you'll have plenty of leaf colours, shapes and sizes to choose from. Even when the leaves fall in the autumn, the silhouette of the intricate branches leaves plenty to marvel at over the winter. Their clever shape means they descend slowly and can be carried aloft by the wind, allowing them to be dispersed over greater distances. Small twirling seeds or 'keys' spin down to the ground like miniature helicopters in the autumn. As well as producing small flowers in spring, many trees also boast remarkable spring foliage colours when the leaves start to clothe the tree again in March-April. Their natural habitat is out of strong winds, with some light shade and normally a neutral to acidic, moist but free-draining soil.ĭespite being deciduous, Japanese maples add beauty and interest to the garden all year round.

Japanese Acers are native to the hills and forest fringes of Japan, Korea and Mongolia where they grow in the shade of larger trees on woodland fringes, which makes them more shade-tolerant than other deciduous trees. However, the leaves are smaller than traditional maples and many varieties have deeply dissected, almost feathery leaves that might not be immediately recognised as a maple tree. Like all maple trees, Japanese Acers have lobed foliage with veins spreading out like the fingers of a hand.

They are generally slow growing and come in varying forms such as weeping, upright and spreading. Japanese Maples are small, deciduous trees best known for their elegant, architectural form and stunning autumn foliage colours.

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