Acer palmatum Dissectum Viridis - Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Viridis' is a variety of Japanese maple with a very wide, cascading habit that reveals palmate leaves with deep, finely toothed lobes. Offering tender green tones in spring, the foliage darkens in summer and blazes with shades of gold, orange, red, and purple in autumn! It is a compact deciduous tree with slow growth, wider than it is tall, and vigorous. It should be planted in isolation on the edge of a terrace or in a large balcony container. It tolerates the sun better than other cultivars but thrives in sheltered positions, not scorching, with cool, rich, well-drained, acidic to neutral soils.

Originally from eastern China, Korea, and Japan, Acer palmatum is the origin of a multitude of horticultural varieties that compete in beauty. Japanese palmate 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 'Dissectum Viridis' cultivar shows a fairly slow growth rate like other Japanese maples. Its habit is spread out and its branches are trailing. Depending on growing conditions, it will reach a maximum height of 2m (7ft) and a width of 3m (10ft). In spring, this small tree develops tender green shoots. They unfold into palmate leaves divided into 7-9 well-separated lobes, finely toothed. In summer, the lamina darkens to light yellow-green. Just before falling, the leaves take on a yellow, orange, and sometimes red and purple hue. The inconspicuous flowering occurs in May-June. The flowers, grouped in small clusters, sometimes produce winged fruits called samaras, measuring 3cm (1in) in length.

With its bright foliage and natural elegance, Acer palmatum 'Dissectum Viridis' will stand out from afar in the garden or when placed in a container on a terrace. Extremely decorative from spring to autumn, it deserves a prime spot. 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 cultivated in a flat pot. Combine several varieties of Japanese maple to vary leaf colours and structures; the effect is always dazzling at the end of the season. Its tender green tones go wonderfully well with purple-leaved shrubs like the 'Wine & Roses' rhododendron or the variegated foliage of some large hostas and dogwoods.