Acer palmatum Going Green - Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Going Green' is a Japanese maple that stands out with its strong branches that turn a dazzling light green in winter, at a time when the rest of the garden fades away. It is a deciduous tree with an upright and dense habit bearing beautiful deeply lobed and dentate foliage. Opening with light green leaves in spring and turning dark green in summer before turning yellow-orange in autumn, its more discreet colour easily combines with the more flamboyant colours of other varieties of Japanese maples. Being small in size, it thrives in small spaces, in sun or partial shade in cool, rich, light, and slightly acidic soil.

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

The cultivar 'Going Green' is particularly ornamental due to the bright light green colour of its branches in winter. It is a compact tree with strong main branches, densely erect, giving it a proud look. It will reach on average 2 m (6.6 ft) in height with a 1 m (3.3 ft) spread, depending on the growing conditions. In spring, this small tree develops young shoots and leaves of a very light green colour. They unfold into palmate leaves, divided into 5 to 7 well-separated dentate lobes. In summer, the lamina darkens to a dark green colour. Just before falling, the leaves take on a magnificent yellow-orange hue. The discreet flowering takes place in May-June. The flowers, grouped in small bouquets, sometimes produce fruits with curved wings, called samaras, 3 cm (1.2 in) long.

Acer palmatum 'Going Green', with its unique wood and natural elegance, stands out from afar, in the garden or when planted in a container on a terrace. Extremely decorative from spring to autumn, it deserves a special place. The Japanese maple is not strictly speaking an ericaceous plant, but it prefers soils rich in humus that remain moist. Chinese azaleas, andromedas, hydrangeas, wild camellias, ferns, and heathers will be its most beautiful companions. It can form a magnificent bonsai to be grown in a flat tray. Mix several varieties of Japanese maples to vary the colours and structures of the foliage; the effect is always stunning at the end of the season. Its green wood and foliage would be perfectly highlighted against a background of dark foliage. Consider pairing it with Styrax japonica 'Evening Light', Hydrangea aspera 'Hot Chocolate', and Loropetalums.