Acer palmatum Red Pygmy - Japanese Maple

The Acer palmatum Red Pygmy is a variety of Japanese maple noted for its small size and its beautiful palmate foliage that changes colour throughout the seasons. It emerges as reddish-brown to orange in spring, turning purple-green in summer before flaming orange in autumn. The contrast in summer between the leaf stalks and the tender green fruits and the purple foliage adds to the charm of this very colourful small tree. Place it in a large pot on the terrace or as a centrepiece in a sunny or partially shaded flower bed.

The Japanese maple Red Pygmy belongs, like all maples, to the family Aceraceae. The Acer palmatum var.amoenum, from which it originates, is often considered a variety of Acer palmatum. It is distinguished by deeply cut foliage with linear and rounded lobes. It is native to eastern China, Korea, and Japan. This tall and fast-growing tree can reach a height of 7 m (23 ft) in the wild and is the origin of some very beautiful varieties, such as the cultivar 'Red Pygmy', which is particularly compact and highly coloured.

The Red Pygmy Japanese Maple is a hardy small tree that tolerates small amounts of limestone in the soil and sunny exposures better than most Acer palmatum. Slow-growing, it develops a spreading and rounded habit over time, almost as wide as it is tall. It reaches a mature height of about 2 m (7 ft) with a spread of 1.50 m (11 ft). Its reddish-violet branches bear deciduous leaves, divided into 3 to 5 more or less narrow lobes, sometimes almost thread-like. The colours of the foliage depends on the exposure to the sun: a sunny exposure is necessary, but scorching sun should be avoided. The inconspicuous flowering takes place in May-June, depending on the climate. The flowers are clustered in small clusters and produce fruits with curved wings, called samaras, initially green and becoming more purple at maturity.

The Acer palmatum Red Pygmy naturally fits in small spaces and Japanese-style gardens, of course, but also in zen, exotic or contemporary-inspired gardens. To fully enjoy the spectacle of its transformation, place it near the house or in a stylish container on the terrace. It looks stunning as a centrepiece in a bed of low-growing or ground-cover perennials. Azaleas, pieris, rhododendrons, wild camellias, and heathers will be its most beautiful companions. Combine several varieties of Japanese maples to create contrasts of colours and structures with the foliage, the effect is always dazzling at the end of the season. Purples and reds go wonderfully well with variegated foliage (dogwoods, mock oranges, elaeagnus...), or golden yellow like with the Gleditzia Sunburst.