The Acer that I would argue is responsible for the success of Eggo waffles, A. These trees are a bit susceptible to heat, drought, and urban conditions, but their beauty is well worth your cultivation efforts.Īn interesting cultivar is ‘Erythrocladum,’ which has coral-pink-to-red stems that are striated with white, and especially attractive when the tree is defoliated in winter. The autumnal foliage, combined with the striped bark, give A. Striped maple leaves emerge tinted pink, mature to bright green, and become a truly striking yellow in fall. The foliage is tri-lobed with shallow sinuses between the apex of each lobe. The Japanese maple can be grown as a small tree or multi-stemmed shrub while the foliage tends to be dark green during the growing season in many cases, later turning shades of purple, red, bronze, orange, and/or yellow in fall. It has since been introduced to other parts of the world like England and the United States, and grows optimally in USDA Hardiness Zones 6 to 8. palmatum owes its common name to the fact that the Japanese people have cultivated this plant for generations. Tracing its native roots to China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, A. ‘Royal Ruby’ has foliage that starts out its growth in shades of dark pinkish-red, before transitioning into its typical dark green hue. The ‘Metro Gold’ cultivar, aka ‘Panacek,’ grows a bit more narrowly than the species plant, with a mature height and width of 35 and 20 feet, respectively. Check your local regulations before planting this species, and keep an eye out for volunteer seedlings near your original plantings.

This tree does have invasive tendencies, but not to the point of necessitating a blanket “don’t plant this” recommendation. The relatively small size of this tree allows it to fit in spots under utility lines that other Acer species might not fit into, and you can also plant in a group and trim these bad boys into a hedge shape.

The hedge maple’s beauty has earned it a niche in the landscape as a small specimen tree, whether it’s planted in lawns or in urban areas. Immature, perhaps… but I never got it wrong on my ID quizzes!

In plant identification classes, I remembered this species as the bird-flipping maple. ginnala – aka Amur or Siberian maple – has simple, three-lobed leaves that are up to three inches in length, with the middle lobe much longer than the lateral ones. Hailing from the central and northern regions of China, Manchuria, and Japan, A. ‘Northwind’ is an especially cold-hardy variety with gorgeous pink samaras and orange-scarlet fall color, while ‘First Flame’ has foliage that emerges in spring with fiery red-orange tones. palmatum – it starts off red, turns green in midsummer, then becomes orange-scarlet in fall.Ĭombined with pink samaras, this tree combines the qualities of old favorites with its own unique features. Growing 20 feet in height and 15 feet wide, this maple has foliage resembling that of A. palmatum x pseudosieboldianum is a variety that’s perfect for those that live in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 5 and refuse to let their Japanese maple dreams die – we’ll go into more detail about that species a little later. pseudosieboldianum wields the Japanese maple’s ornamental appeal in combination with the cold-hardiness of the Korean maple.Ī. Let’s begin with a hybrid without a common name. If you need a refresher on growing maple trees before we continue, check out our guide. It’s definitely worth consulting your local ecological laws, if you’re concerned about spreading a potentially invasive species. Species of Acer tend to grow invasively, especially ones that aren’t native to where they’re being planted.

Types of maples trees