Acer palmatum Beni Maiko - Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum Beni-Maiko is considered one of the most vibrant Japanese maples! It is a sought-after variety for the beauty of its foliage, which changes colours spectacularly throughout the seasons. Its compact size makes it suitable even for small gardens and container cultivation. This deciduous shrub has a graceful silhouette and dense foliage that emerges brilliant red in spring, then turns pinkish-red with light green and yellow hues in summer, before finally taking on orange and deep red shades in autumn. It is a captivating specimen that will transform the less sunny corners of the garden or terrace, provided it enjoys moist and acidic, well-drained soil.

Acer palmatum is native to eastern China, Korea, and Japan. Like all maples, it belongs to the Sapindaceae family. The 'Beni-Maiko' cultivar, which means "dancing girl with red hair," stands out for its glossy foliage, which changes colour from spring to autumn. It is a hardy, slow-growing small tree with brown wood that develops a slender and unique trunk supporting a spreading and low crown, held up by flexible branches. After 20 years, it will reach a height of 2 m to 3 m (6.6 ft to 9.8 ft) with a spread of about 2 m (6.6 ft), depending on the growing conditions. Its deciduous foliage consists of deeply cut palmate leaves with 5 to 7 lanceolate lobes, finely serrated on the edges. The insignificant white flowers grouped in small clusters in April are followed by interesting red fruits with recurved wings, measuring 3 cm (1.2 in) in length, starting from September. Before falling in autumn, the foliage takes on beautiful shades of red, yellow, and orange.

Acer palmatum 'Beni-Maiko' will be enhanced when planted as a standalone specimen in a shaded lawn or in ericaceous beds alongside azaleas, pieris, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and heathers. It can also be trained into a magnificent bonsai in a flat tray. Despite its delicate appearance, this small tree is robust, as evidenced by some specimens grown in large pots with minimal care for many years. It only requires light and well-drained soil that is not too poor and preferably acidic to neutral, and occasional watering during dry periods. Diseases such as Verticillium (caused by a fungus) are more likely to develop in constantly moist substrates than in intermittently dry ones. It should be noted that this variety performs well in warm climates if the tree is placed away from scorching sun and sheltered from the wind.