Acer palmatum Berry Broom - Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Berry Broom' is a beautiful variety of Japanese Maple, with a bushy and dense habit and moderate growth. Its remarkable foliage changes colour throughout the seasons, from a tender and fresh green in spring to a darker shade in summer, before turning flamboyant orange-red in autumn. This bright little bush will quickly become the centrepiece of a small garden or the focal point of a terrace. Plant it in partial shade in an ericaceous bed or in a large pot, keeping the soil moist.

Originally from eastern China, Korea, and Japan, Acer palmatum has given rise to a multitude of horticultural varieties that compete in beauty. Japanese Maple belongs, like all maples, to the Sapindaceae family. It is relatively hardy, but only tolerates limestone-free soils. The cultivar 'Berry Broom' was selected from a mutation on an Acer palmatum, known as a "witch's broom". This fairly common phenomenon in trees results in a mass of tangled branches and twigs. The 'Berry Broom' cultivar has a particularly dense and bushy habit, and a slower growth rate than the species. It reaches about 1.5m (5ft) in all directions. This small tree has brown to reddish bark and develops beautiful deciduous leaves, with palmate shapes. In this variety, the foliage starts off tender and bright green, turning dark green during summer, and then orange to bright red in autumn. The leaves are opposite, 5 to 8cm (2 to 3in) long, divided into 5 to 7 elongated and pointed lobes. The discreet flowering takes place in May-June. The flowers, grouped in small clusters, sometimes produce some fruits with curved wings, called samaras, about 3cm (1in) long.

Acer palmatum 'Berry Broom' thrives in neutral to acidic, moist, fertile, loose, and well-drained soil, in a partially shaded or morning sun position, sheltered from cold and dry winds. Compact yet sculptural, it is well suited for small Japanese or exotic-style gardens, for ornamenting terraces and patios, as well as for shaded rockeries. Azaleas, pieris, rhododendrons, wild camellias, and heathers will be its most beautiful companions, as well as heucheras with pink foliage. It can be shaped into a magnificent bonsai to be grown in a flat dish. Combine several varieties of Japanese maples to vary the colours and structures of the foliage; the effect is always dazzling at the end of the season.