Acer palmatum Tamukeyama - Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Tamukeyama' (Dissectum) is a variety of Japanese maple similar to A. palmatum 'Dissectum Viridis' but differs in the colour of its foliage. Its deeply serrated palmate leaves open in reddish-purple tones in spring, darken to green in summer, and turn intense scarlet red in autumn. Its horizontal habit, with twisted and trailing branches, is splendid and must be admired up close. This deciduous tree exhibits slow growth and a compact size, perfect for container planting to enhance a terrace even in partial shade. Protect it from cold winds and hot exposures and ensure that the substrate is well-drained, rich, moist, and without limestone.

Originally from eastern China, Korea, and Japan, Acer palmatum is the origin of a multitude of horticultural varieties that compete in beauty. Japanese maple belongs, like all maples, to the Sapindaceae family (formerly Aceraceae). It is relatively hardy but dislikes dry and cold winds, scorching exposures, and dry and limestone soils.

The cultivar 'Tamukeyama' exhibits a relatively slow growth rate like other Japanese maples. Its habit is spreading, and its branches are trailing. Depending on the growing conditions, it will reach a maximum height of 2m (7ft) and a width of 3m (10ft). In spring, this small tree develops reddish-purple young shoots. They unfold into palmate leaves divided into 7-9 well-separated lobes, finely toothed. In summer, the lamina darkens to green. Before falling, the leaves take on a purple and then scarlet red hue. The discreet flowering occurs in May-June. The flowers, grouped in small clusters, sometimes produce fruits with curved wings, called samaras, measuring 3cm (1in) long.

With its bright foliage and natural elegance, Acer palmatum 'Tamukeyama' stands out from afar in the garden or when placed in a container on a terrace. Extremely decorative from spring to autumn, it deserves a prominent place. Japanese maple is not strictly speaking an acid-loving plant, but it prefers soils rich in humus that remain moist. Chinese azaleas, pieris, hydrangeas, wild camellias, ferns, and heathers will be its most beautiful companions. It can form a magnificent bonsai to be grown in a flat dish. Combine several varieties of Japanese maple to vary the colours and structures of the foliage; the effect is always dazzling at the end of the season. Its red and purple tones go wonderfully well with shrubs with tender green foliage, such as Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Golden Mop' or Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum'.