Acer palmatum Red Wood - Japanese maple

Acer palmatum 'Red Wood' is a variety of Japanese maple whose most admirable features are its graceful foliage and decorative winter bark. Its deeply lobed leaves change colour with the seasons, culminating in a stunning autumn display. Its bright coral-red bark provides a visual spectacle throughout the winter in the garden. This elegant, small tree is very hardy, only disliking limestone and scorching exposures. It will be perfectly at home in a shaded border, alongside acid soil plants, or as a standalone feature on a lawn.

Maple, or Acer, once classified in the Aceraceae family, now belongs to the Sapindaceae family, alongside 140 other genera.
Acer palmatum is native to Japan and Korea, where it can form small trees up to 8 metres in height. Its beautifully lobed foliage turns a stunning light red in autumn, giving Japanese landscapes their distinctive character. Noted by the great botanist Thunberg in the late 18th century, it was introduced to Europe as early as 1820. Prized by the Japanese for bonsai, it is also a favourite species among many breeders who have produced numerous cultivars over the years.
Acer palmatum 'Red Wood' combines the beauty of its foliage with highly decorative bark. With moderate growth, this large shrub, rarely a small tree, will reach around 4 metres in height and 2.50 to 3 metres in width after 10 years of cultivation. Its habit is rather upright, spreading later to form an irregular, more or less rounded shape with a very natural appearance. In spring, the young leaves emerge in soft yellowish-green to chartreuse-green tones. Typically for this species, they are divided into five main lobes, toothed at the edges, often with two small additional lobes at the base. Measuring 5 to 10 cm in diameter, their highly sculptural shape is ornamental throughout the season. They turn bright green in late spring, and they retain this colour throughout summer until their autumn display. With the first frosts, the leaves then colour yellow, orange, or red, often in a mix, ending the season beautifully. The bark is stunning, becoming increasingly red as winter sets in. The coral-red stems gave the variety its name. They stand out particularly well under the grey skies of winter and make a remarkable focal point in the garden.

Japanese Maples are universally admired for their architectural, colourful foliage, but 'Red Wood' goes further with its stunning bark. Plant it on the edge of large trees alongside its cousin, the Paperbark Maple (Acer griseum), to create an unforgettable scene. To brighten your border, add a few Rhododendrons and Azaleas with their dazzling spring flowers. Complement with a Cornus kousa 'Bonfire', a fabulous Japanese Dogwood with strongly variegated yellow-green foliage that blazes pink, red, and burgundy in autumn.