Acer palmatum var. dissectum Emerald Lace - Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Emerald Lace' is an infinitely graceful Japanese maple, but less demanding in terms of exposure and soil than most common varieties. This small tree has an elegant habit, with a rounded crown and long, gracefully drooping branches covered in feathery foliage. In spring, its leaves are a bright, light green, turning to emerald green in summer before taking on beautiful orange-red colours in autumn. Whether planted in the ground or in a large pot, this small maple brings a unique touch to a Japanese or exotic-style garden, or a contemporary terrace.

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum' is native to eastern China, Korea, and Japan. It belongs to the Sapindaceae family. This American cultivar 'Emerald Lace' stands out for its pretty semi-weeping habit and its intensely dissected foliage with very thin segments. It is a deciduous, hardy tree, with a rather fast growth rate for a Japanese maple. It develops a single trunk, covered in a decorative bark that is green with cream stripes. It forms a rounded, somewhat sparse crown supported by flexible, slender, drooping branches. Ultimately, it will reach about 2 m (6.6 ft) in height and 1.75 m (5.7 ft) in spread, depending on the growing conditions. Its laciniate foliage is composed of palmate leaves, measuring 5 cm to 8 cm (2 in to 3.1 in) long, deeply divided into 5 to 7 finely cut lobes with strongly dentate edges. The colour of the leaves changes from very light green in spring to deep green in summer, then turns to bright red and orange in autumn before falling. The reddish flowers, grouped in small clusters, are insignificant, but its 3 cm (1.2 in) long fruits with recurved wings are interesting from September onwards.

'Emerald Lace' is ideal as a standalone plant, showcased when planted on a sunny to shady lawn or in ericaceous beds alongside azaleas, pieris, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and heathers. It can also make a magnificent bonsai to be cultivated in a flat dish. Despite its delicate appearance, this small tree is robust and accommodating, requiring only light, well-drained, slightly acidic to slightly alkaline soil that is not too poor, and occasional watering in dry weather. Diseases such as Verticillium (caused by a fungus) are more likely to develop in constantly moist substrates than in sporadically dry ones. Note that this variety performs quite well in hot climates if the tree is placed away from scorching sun and sheltered from the wind.