Acer palmatum
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Zones 5 to 8, outdoor only. Native to southwestern Korea and central and southern Japan.
Sapindaceae (the soapberry family) · Deciduous broadleaf tree; outdoor bonsai
Compare your tree against these to confirm the species and spot problems early.
| USDA zones | 5 to 8 [3]; not every cultivar is fully hardy in zone 5 [3] |
|---|---|
| Indoor / outdoor | Outdoor only, all year [17] |
| Light | A sunny, airy place [17]; dappled shade in hot weather [20]; indirect light once temperatures reach 85°F (29°C) [17] |
| Water | Evenly moist: water daily in the growing season; it must not dry out completely [17] |
| Soil | Well-drained mix such as akadama with pumice and lava rock [17]; neutral to slightly acidic [17] |
| Repot | Every two years [17], in spring as the buds start to swell [20] |
| Frost | Frost hardy as a bonsai, but protect it below 15°F (-10°C) [17]; young leaves are frost sensitive [1] |
| Mature height | 15 to 25 ft (4.5 to 7.6 m) in the ground [3] [4] |
| Growth rate | Slow, about 10 to 15 ft in 15 years [2] |
| Season of interest | Fall color in yellow, bronze, purple or red, depending on cultivar [1] |
| Leaf reduction | Leaf pruning brings a second, often finer flush [17]; not rated by the sources we checked |
| Main risks | Main risks, not ranked by any source: verticillium wilt, which cannot be treated and spreads on tools [17]; drying out, which damages fine roots [17] |
Japanese maple is native to southwestern Korea and central and southern Japan [5]. It is one of the classic deciduous bonsai, with palmate leaves, slender twigs and fall color that runs through yellow, bronze, purple and red depending on the cultivar [1]. Many cultivars are grown as bonsai, among them 'Kiyohime', 'Kashima', 'Shishigashira' and 'Arakawa', and the red-leaved 'Deshojo' and 'Seigen' [17].
It is strictly an outdoor tree [17]. Two serious dangers are drying out, since a bonsai needs water daily through the growing season [17], and verticillium wilt, a fungus that enters through the roots [13] and can travel from tree to tree on tools [17].
Foliage. Opposite, simple leaves 2 to 5 in (5 to 13 cm) long [1] [4] with five to nine lobes [1]; Oregon State counts 5 to 7 deeply cut lobes, sometimes 9 [4], and Virginia Tech 5 to 7 [7]. The margins are doubly serrated [4].
Bark & trunk. The main trunk is usually smooth and gray [3]. Twigs are slender, green to red, often with a waxy bloom [1].
Growth habit / form. A small tree or shrub, often multi-trunked, in variable forms [4].
Flowers / fruit / seeds. Small red to purple flowers in mid to late spring [7] open with the new leaves [4]. The paired winged seeds (samaras) are 1/2 to 3/4 in long [3], with wings spread at a wide angle [4], and ripen in early fall [4].
Look-alikes & how to tell them apart: Trident maple (Acer buergerianum) has three triangular, forward-pointing lobes and exfoliating gray bark [9]. Full moon maple (A. japonicum) has 7 to 11 lobes [10], and A. shirasawanum has 9 to 13 shallow lobes, with its samaras held upright above the leaves [11]. Norway maple (A. platanoides) has five sharply pointed lobes, and its leafstalks bleed milky sap when broken [12].
Japanese maple is hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8 [3]; not all cultivars are fully hardy in zone 5, and some need winter protection [3]. As a bonsai it is frost hardy, but below 15°F (-10°C) it should go into a cold frame or similar shelter [17]; a UK club gives the same figure as the limit most Japanese maples can take [20]. Young spring leaves are sensitive to frost, and late frosts can damage them [1]. After repotting, cold is the main threat: Bonsai Tonight keeps freshly repotted trees in a workshop or garage when it turns cold [19].
Heat is the other limit. At 85°F (29°C) and above, move the tree into indirect light [17]; too much sun, wind or drought scorches the leaves [1].
In the landscape it does best in dappled or partial shade, because direct sun can scorch the leaves in summer heat [2]; the Morton Arboretum suggests 4 to 6 hours of light a day [3]. Too much shade slows growth and turns purple leaves greener [2]. Bonsai do well in a sunny, airy place [17]. A healthy tree tolerates full sun but may prefer dappled shade in hot weather [20].
Evenly moist, never dry. Water a bonsai daily in the growing season and never let the soil dry out completely [17]. In the ground it does best with a consistent supply of water [3]. The mix still has to drain: poorly draining soil or overwatering can cause root rot [20]. Avoid calcareous (hard) water, since the species prefers a neutral or slightly acidic pH [17]. In winter, take care not to overwater [20].
Use a well-drained mix such as akadama with pumice and lava rock [17]; for one forest planting Bonsai Tonight used roughly 65 percent akadama and 35 percent pumice [18]. In the ground it prefers well-drained, slightly acidic soil that stays evenly moist and is rich in organic matter [2].
Repot every two years [17], in spring as the buds start to swell [20]; Bonsai Tonight expected one established forest planting to go two to three years before its next repot [18]. The strong roots fill the pot quickly, so prune them at repotting [17]. Afterward, protect the tree from cold [19], and start feeding a few weeks later, once it has rooted in [19].
Feed while the tree is actively growing and ease off toward the end of summer [20]. Solid organic fertilizers supply all the micronutrients and act slowly and gently [17]; a young tree can also get liquid fertilizer once a week [17]. Avoid high-nitrogen fertilizers, which make large leaves and long internodes [17].
Cut new growth back to one or two pairs of leaves [17]. Cut strong branches in summer or autumn, when callus forms quickly, to prevent heavy bleeding [17]; a UK club does major pruning in the growing season, when the tree can seal the wound, and avoids even minor pruning in early spring, when sap flow is strongest [20].
Leaf pruning, removing all the leaves in the growing season, brings a second and often finer flush [17]. It stresses the tree, so do not do it every year [17]; partial leaf pruning is gentler and can be done yearly [17]. Only defoliate a healthy tree [20].
The bark is soft and smooth and easily damaged by wire [20], so check wire often; the same club prefers clip and grow to wiring [20]. Disinfect your tools between trees (see Disease) [13] [14].
Ease: Easily propagated [17]. Best methods: seed, cuttings or air layering [17]; grafting or softwood cuttings [6].
Bonsai Empire propagates Japanese maple from seed, cuttings or air layering in summer [17]. Most named cultivars are grafted [1], and the RHS gives grafting or softwood cuttings [6].
Aphids, sap-sucking insects, appear on spring growth [17]; scale, maple worms, leafrollers and leafhoppers are occasional pests [1]. Horticultural oil sprays usually control scale [8]. Borers are a sign that the tree is not growing well [8]. Japanese beetles attack Japanese maple very frequently [16].
Verticillium wilt enters through the roots and spreads through the plant [13]. Individual branches suddenly wilt and die [14], often on one side of the tree only [15], and brown or green streaks show in the sapwood just under the bark [14]. There is no cure [14] [17]; Penn State notes that some trees do recover [15]. Clean pruning tools between cuts for at least 30 seconds in a 10 percent bleach solution [14], and keep in mind that mulch and fallen leaves can carry the fungus [14].
Anthracnose (brown lesions on the leaves), powdery mildew, leaf spot and leaf scorch also trouble Japanese maples [2]. Scorch comes from too much sun, wind or drought [1].
No source we checked ranks these. They are the main risks the sources describe, in no particular order:
Trees from our own bench, filmed while we worked on them.
Play video (0:28)I cut this bushy nursery Japanese maple back hard, slipped it out of its nursery pot with the root ball whole, and set it into a new pot, all in one session. The biggest risk to a Japanese maple is not pruning. It is verticillium wilt, a fungus that can travel from tree to tree on dirty tools, so I clean my shears between trees.
| Cultivar | Botanical name | USDA zones | Growth rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mikawa Yatsubusa Japanese Maple | Acer palmatum 'Mikawa-yatsubusa' | 5 to 9 | Slow |
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