Japanese maple varieties – spectacular trees for your garden

Japanese maple varieties feature different colors but all species are stunningly beautiful and highly valued by professional and hobby gardeners.

Maple trees are one of the most popular plants for Japanese gardens. In spring Japanese maples have lovely yellow-green or reddish color, depending on the maple variety but the peak of the beauty of Japanese maple trees is in late summer and autumn when the leaves are colored in magnificent bright colors. A Japanese maple tree in autumn looks like a masterpiece of watercolor painting and hardly any other tree species can dominate over the maple tree but enhance and outline its beauty.

Japanese maple varieties – add a touch of sophistication to the garden design

All of Japanese maple varieties offer an amazing visual appearance and their graceful curves add a touch of sophistication to the garden design. You can admire the color of the maple foliage from a distance, the way it blends harmoniously in the landscape design and when you approach the maple tree you will notice the delicate leaves, their carving and color shades. It is no surprise why Japanese maples are a part of almost every Japanese garden design – the color palette of bright green in summer, the deep yellow, orange and red shades in autumn are so picturesque that the tree becomes an instant focal point. As per experts, every Japanese maple tree has a unique color and two maples trees of the same variety, planted in neighboring gardens will have different colors depending on the care and the growth conditions.

What are the most popular Japanese maple varieties

The actual Japanese maple (Acer japonicum), is a very beautiful plant with deeply dissected leaves, delicate and complex coloration from green to burgundy and cherry.

One of the legendary Japanese maple varieties is the fan shaped Acer palmatum. It has many varieties and green, yellow, pink, purple or orange-red color in fall depending on the variety. Acer palmatum Atropurpureum is a small tree or a large shrub with thin delicate branches and the leaves have an amazing bright red color. It is a slowly growing variety of Japanese maples and likes partial shade and moderate moist. Some other varieties of Acer palmatum are Acer palmatum Dissectum, Acer palmatum orange dream, Acer palmatum Butterfly, etc.

Acer Japonicum Aureum is grows up to 8–15 meters height. The leaves have a pleasant yellow color and in autumn the color turns into a beautiful bright gold, intense orange to dark red.

Mikawa yatsubusa is one of the dwarf species and especially charming. For most of the year the leaves are light green and in autumn the color changes to gold, orange, and purple.

One of the most charming Maple tree varieties are the bonsai maple trees. They can be grown inside or in a bonsai garden and are a fascinating addition to any home decor or outdoor living space. Japanese maple Acer palmatum is the most popular bonsai variety.