Acer shirasawanum Jordan - Japanese Maple

Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan' is a variety of Japanese maple that is quite different, especially because of its young fresh lemon yellow foliage, but also because of the curiously rounded habit of its fan-shaped leaves. This small tree with a natural habit resembles the 'Aureum' variety, but its growth is faster. Its beautifully cut leaves change from lemon yellow to anise green in spring to a restful green in summer. In autumn, the tree blazes with different shades of bright red, yellow, copper, and chestnut brown. It often forms multiple trunks, emphasising the splendour of the foliage with its admirable habit. To fully enjoy the spectacle of its metamorphosis, plant it near the house or in a large designer container on a terrace. It is superb as a standalone plant in a small garden, with a Japanese-style, but also with Zen, exotic, or contemporary inspiration.

It belongs to the Sapindaceae family. Acer shirasawanum, from which it originates, is a distinct Japanese maple species from A. palmatum. It is particularly native to the mountains of Honsu and Shikoku. Its English name is charmingly "Full moon maple", due to the rounded shape of its leaves and their particularly luminous appearance. This tall tree with very slow growth, which can reach 15 m (49. 2 ft) in height in nature, is the origin of some very beautiful varieties such as the 'Aureum' forms from which the 'Jordan' maple descends.

'Jordan' is a very hardy small tree, which tolerates small amounts of limestone in the soil a little better than most Acer palmatum. The 'Jordan' cultivar, with medium growth rate, eventually takes on a bushy and rounded habit, almost as wide as it is tall. At maturity, it reaches about 3 m (9.8 ft) in height and 2.5 m (8.2 ft) in width. Its almost horizontal branches develop magnificent deciduous leaves, circular in shape, which can measure up to 15 cm (5.9 in) in length and 10 cm (3.9 in) in width. They are borne on red petioles and their edges are divided into 7 to 13 lobes. The colouration of the foliage depends on the exposure to the sun: a bright exposure is necessary, but scorching sun should be avoided. Inconspicuous yellow-green flowers bloom in April-May, depending on the climate. The flowers, clustered in small upright bouquets, produce some winged fruits called samaras, which are initially green and turn carmine red when ripe. This variety has a smooth, grey-brown bark.

Acer shirasawanum 'Jordan' grows best in preferably neutral to slightly acidic, cool, fertile, loose, and well-drained soil, in a semi-shaded position sheltered from cold and dry winds. Compact yet sculptural, it is well suited to small gardens, as well as to ornament terraces and patios, and large shaded rockeries. Azaleas, pieris, rhododendrons, wild camellias, and heathers will be its most beautiful companions. 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. Plants with purple tones will complement it perfectly: choose, for example, dark physocarpus, dark berberis, a purple Cotinus, a rose with violet flowers (Veilchenblau, Rhapsody in Blue), or a purple hazelnut.