Acer truncatum Akikaze-nishiki - Maple

The Acer truncatum 'Akikaze-nishiki' is a variety of Shantung Maple easily recognisable by its foliage, which is as unique as it is ornamental. Its highly cut leaves have lobes that are sometimes linear and sometimes incurved. Their green colour is variegated with white, giving a bright aspect to the vegetation. This small tree, which grows relatively quickly, generally has multiple trunks and supports an irregular and dense crown. Often as wide as it is tall, it ignites in autumn with shades of yellow, orange, and red before the leaves fall. Very hardy, it grows in practically all soils, except for those that are truly calcareous, in full sun or under light shade.

Maples, formerly classified in the eponymous Aceraceae family, which is now extinct in botanical classifications, now belongs to the Sapindaceae family, a large family with 140 genera and nearly 2000 species (including at least 150 for the genus Acer alone). The Acer truncatum, Shantung Maple or Painted Maple, is a species native to Asia, whose natural habitat covers a large part of northern China (about ten provinces where it is known by the vernacular name yuan bao qi), Korea, eastern Siberia, and Japan. In these regions, it can reach a height of up to 15m (49ft), but in Europe, where it was introduced in 1881, it does not exceed 7 to 9m (23 to 29ft) in height. This Maple has a rough and deeply fissured bark, with a more or less dark brown colour. It has mostly 5-lobed (3 to 7) leaves that are 8 to 12cm (3 to 5in) wide and 60 to 10cm (24 to 4in) long. Flowering occurs in May, approximately at the same time as leaf emergence, in the form of terminal corymbs that are 6 to 8cm (2 to 3in) in diameter, initially erect and then drooping. They consist of 3 to 10 flowers that are 1cm (1in) in diameter and yellow-green in colour. They develop into fruits (double samaras, the "helicopters" of our childhood) that are 3cm (1in) long and red-purple in colour.
Akikaze-nishiki is a variegated cultivar of the species. It grows relatively quickly and reaches a height of about 4m (13ft) and a spread of the same size in 10 years of cultivation, and at maturity, about 6m (20ft). The trunk generally divides into multiple axes, giving the plant a V-shaped habit dominated by a wide and very dense crown, which is both irregular and well balanced. This small tree thus presents a beautiful winter silhouette when the leaves have fallen. These leaves are the main attraction of this variety, with their beautiful cream-white variegation that varies greatly. Some leaves have only one lobe with this coloration, while others are almost entirely white. In spring, the young leaves also have pink hues among the white areas, which are very decorative alongside the tender green, but these hues fade as the green becomes deeper. This variability in colours is combined with astonishing polymorphism, with some leaves lying flat and having balanced lobes, while others seem to draw arabesques with their recurved lobes. The yellowish corymbs of flowers, while not exceptional, add a touch of colour to this spring harmony. In autumn, the leaves turn yellow and take on beautiful shades of red and orange, similar to some Japanese Maples.
Unlike these, this variety is more accommodating in cultivation. While it also grows in acidic soils, it tolerates a bit of limestone without any problem. Similarly, it grows well in full sun, tolerates partial shade, withstands heat and wind, and demonstrates exemplary hardiness, down to -28°C (1°F). It also tolerates moist soils as well as drier conditions and requires virtually no maintenance.

Easy to cultivate, this well-composed Maple is truly ornamental, and its reasonable size allows it to find a place in most gardens. Splendid as a standalone tree on a lawn, it can also be integrated into a mixed border. Due to its great versatility in terms of growing conditions, you can associate it with many flowering shrubs, such as Weigela florida Alexandra. Its dark purple foliage, reaching a height of 2m (7ft), will create a strong contrast at the base of the Maple, while its bright pink flowering will burst in May. Also consider grey foliage, such as that of varieties of Perovskia, charming shrubs with blue-mauve summer flowers and aromatic grey foliage to the touch. And for autumn, plant a specimen of Pheasant Berry (Leycesteria formosa), which is a medium-sized shrub that blooms in late summer and then produces decorative fruits late in the season, while its foliage takes on lovely autumnal colours.