Autumn at its flaming best
The season’s full of glorious sights – but nothing outshines the radiant beauty of Japanese maples
IN THE early 1990s I stumbled across a long-forgotten Victorian garden behind a walled garden nursery where I’d just started work. Pushing my way through overgrown shrubs, I discovered an exquisite, mature Japanese maple perched on raised ground above a small lake.
The dark purple-leaved Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ was 20ft tall with branches that spread out over a similar distance. Once I’d found the neglected plot, I would often sneak off to admire the tree, which blew me away in mid-autumn when the palmate leaves turned scarlet before falling.
This chance encounter triggered my appreciation for Japanese maples and I began to take more of an interest in the dozen or so Acer palmatum varieties that I was helping to maintain at the nursery. Even at only 2ft tall, they bore a distinct resemblance to the venerable tree in the abandoned garden.
Despite their common name, Japanese maples are also native to Korea, China and Mongolia, where they tend to thrive in the dappled shade of moist woodland. The first to be grown in Britain was Acer palmatum, a round-headed tree with bright green leaves that arrived from Japan in 1820. Hundreds of varieties have been raised from this species, ranging from compact, mound-forming shrubs with cascading branches to upright, small trees. Many have lobed leaves, while those of cut-leaved Japanese maples have finely dissected foliage.
These have all-year-round interest but there’s no denying they are particularly prized for their autumn foliage. From about mid-October until well into November, their normal green, red or purple leaves turn fiery shades of red, yellow and orange.
AMONG the most spectacular are Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’, a tall variety with deeply lobed purple leaves that turn bright red in autumn, and Acer palmatum ‘Seiryu’ with its finely divided green leaves that take on hints of gold and scarlet. Introduced in 1965, A. palmatum var. dissectum ‘Crimson Queen’ makes a 10ft-high by 13ft-wide mound of red, lacy foliage.
At the other end of the height scale, A. palmatum ‘Dissectum Atropurpureum Group’ forms a 3ft mound of purple leaves, while the feathery green leaves of 4ft tall A. palmatum var. dissectum ‘Filligree’ changes to yellow in autumn. Growing to three and a half feet, A. palmatum ‘Red Pygmy’ has dark red leaves that turn to orange.
All of the family turn up the heat in autumn but if I could pick just one for its colour, it would have to be A. palmatum ‘Osakazuki’. The large, seven-lobed leaves that cover this small tree look spectacular when they transform from bright green to glowing scarlet.
Japanese maples prefer acidic, sandy, well-drained loamy soil that contains organic matter. Don’t worry if your ground isn’t an exact match; they can cope with other types of soil, apart from those that are very wet, dry or exceedingly alkaline.
Compact forms are ideal at the front of borders or as a specimen in rock gardens, while those with cascading branches will add elegance to the edge of a pond. Taller varieties look good in a woodlandstyle garden under larger trees or used to add interest to a dull corner.
Another option is to give a border or part of a garden an Oriental theme by planting them with black dragon grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Nigrescens’), hostas, bamboos, athyrium ferns and other plants that evoke the Far East. Don’t overcrowd the maple or you’ll spoil its architectural shape.
These trees need little maintenance, and pruning is best kept to a minimum. Simply remove any dead or diseased branches and create a good shape by removing badly crossing branches. Trimming is best carried out between November and January, when plants are dormant.