Popular Kinds of Japanese Maple Tree Varieties
Japanese maples are widely used as residential trees in Japan, China and Korea for the beautification of yards and gardens. These trees are widely popular because of their inviting colors.
Japanese maple types have the ability to become the center of attraction or the focal point, wherever they are planted. They grow well in sub-tropical and temperate regions which have moist or well-drained soil.
For warmer regions, Japanese maples can be planted under shade nets or areas that receive partial shade. They can bear up to -10°F fall in the temperature.
In this article, we will talk more about the different kinds of Japanese Maples and their characteristic features.
Different Types Of Japanese Maple Trees
- Bloodgood Japanese Maple
- Coonara Pygmy
- Fireglow Japanese Maple
- Autumn Moon Japanese Maple
- Beni Kawa / Coral bark Japanese Maple
- Crimson Queen Japanese Maple
- Red Dragon Japanese Maple
- Tamukeyama Japanese Maple
- Viridis Japanese Maple
- Butterfly Japanese Maple
- Emperor One Japanese Maple
- Filigree Japanese Maple
- Waterfall Japanese maple
Which Is Your Favorite Type Of Japanese Maple?
Japanese maples have mesmerizing leaves that make them stand out in your garden. Lets introduce you to some of the most glorious Japanese maples.
1. Bloodgood Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Bloodgood Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 15 to 20 feet |
| Average age | 90 to 120 years |
| Color | Maroon to bright red |
| Native to | Asia |
It is one of the rapidly growing Japanese maple tree varieties that grow up to a height of about 15 to 20 feet. This tree has spectacular colorful foliage that would look wonderful in your gardens and backyards.
During spring, the leaves are burgundy or maroon in color and a bright red color overpowers during the fall season. The tree has thin branches and much like different types of Japanese maples, this tree grows well in clayey, well-drained and loamy soil types. These plants need full or partial exposure to sunlight to mature.
2. Coonara Pygmy
| Common Name | Coonara Pygmy |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 5 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Green |
| Native to | UK |
The Coonara Pygmy Japanese maple is a dwarf maple that is used as an ornamental plant in compact gardens and backyards. Like different other types of Japanese maple trees, it showcases brilliant colors all year round.
The leaves are soft green during spring and change into a darker shade of green during summer. In the fall season, the leaves become yellowish to orange and are generously accentuated with splashes of red.
These kinds of Japanese maples prefer fertile, clayey soil and partial sunlight to grow healthily.
3. Fireglow Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Fireglow Japanese Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 6 to 10 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Burgundy |
| Native to | Japan, China and South Korea |
The Fireglow Japanese Maple tree is one of the many Japanese maple types. It is so named because of its luminescent and fiery fall colors. The leaves essentially display purple-scarlet to crimson hues which look absolutely stunning along with their wide and round-shaped foliage.
These Japanese maple tree varieties prefer clayey, well-drained, loamy soil and full to partial exposure to sunlight for growth.
4. Autumn Moon Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Autumn Moon Japanese Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 8 to 12 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Burnt-orange, brick red |
| Native to | Japan |
The Autumn Moon Japanese maple is a slow-growing, low-maintenance kind of maple tree. The foliage of this plant is bushy and the leaves are very uniquely colored.
Appearing clear yellow to chartreuse during the spring, the rounded, palmate leaves with 9 to 10 lobes are tinged with an unusual burnt-orange color. These Japanese maple types prefer clayey, fertile soil and full or partial exposure to sunlight.
5. Beni Kawa / Coral bark Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Beni Kawa, Coral Bark Japanese Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 7 to 15 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Green, yellow, crimson |
| Native to | Japan, China and parts of Korea |
These kinds of Japanese Maples, have a coral-colored tree trunk, as clear from its name. Their branches are usually coral colored. Another fascinating thing about these trees is that their leaves change their colors with changing seasons.
During the spring season, they are light green in color which changes to greenish-yellow to fresh green. Further they sport a bright to ochre yellow color during fall season and orange to crimson during the winters. You should be cautious about the Japanese maple winter care.
These Japanese maple types grow well in direct sunlight or partial shade and are a popular choice for yards and gardens because of their superb colors.
These Japanese maple tree varieties are also drought resistant and can thrive in loamy, sandy and well-drained soil.
6. Crimson Queen Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Crimson Queen Japanese Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 8 to 10 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Purple, crimson |
| Native to | China, Japan and Korea, Eastern Mongolia. |
These specific Japanese maple varieties have matte texture and greyish-purple leaves in summer. Their leaves change their color to bright crimson during the fall. It is a beautiful transition to look at.
These trees have a canopy like structure making them a source of shade. Crimson Queen Maple can grow well in loamy soil and requires direct sunlight or partial shade to grow. These Japanese maple types are also one of the most popular recurrent residential Japanese maple choices.
7. Red Dragon Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Red Dragon Japanese Maple. |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 6 to 10 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Blazing Red leaves |
| Native to | Japan, China and Korea |
Among the various types of Japanese maple trees that change color, The Red Dragon is the most unique. The Red Dragon Japanese Maple is a slow-growing, Japanese dwarf maple tree which comprises of lace-like delicate leaves and blazing red foliage. This plant changes its color throughout the year, according to the various seasons. Its leaves turn from red to purple and scarlet or cherry red in autumn.
The Red Dragon Japanese Maple has an upright form and its branches descend down in a weeping/cascading manner. These Japanese maples grow perfectly well in full sun. It can adapt itself to any soil type, is easy to maintain as it does not require pruning and has beautiful growth.
These Japanese maple types are widely used as garden plants because of the burst of colors they add to the yards.
8. Tamukeyama Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Tamukeyama Japanese Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 8 to 10 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Purple |
| Native to | Japan, China and Korea. |
Tamukeyama Japanese Maple is the fastest-growing Japanese maple tree among different types of Japanese maples that has a cascading structure. However, the growth rate slows with maturity and the tree is about 8 to 10 feet tall at maturity.
The tree has waxy, maroon branches and deeply lobed purple-colored leaves. The tree is an excellent addition to Asian-themed gardens or yards. These Japanese maple varieties grow well in full or partial sunlight and prefer clayey, moist and fertile soil types.
9. Viridis Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Viridis Japanese Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 8 to 10 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Green, Orange-Yellow |
| Native to | Japan, China and Korea. |
The Viridis Japanese Maple tree is one of the Weeping Japanese maple types. The branches of this tree grow extremely slowly in a waterfall-like structure, which is drooping down.
Viridis Japanese Maples are used in landscaping because they easily fit in yards and showcase amazing colors during spring and autumn. Much like numerous other different types of Japanese maple trees, the leaves of the Viridis Japanese Maple tree also change color.
The leaves of these plants are initially green and then turn to a chartreuse color in spring before finally turning yellow or orange in autumn and shedding off. The plant prefers full or partial exposure to sunlight, acidic and well-drained soil to grow perfectly.
10. Butterfly Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Butterfly Japanese Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 10 to 12 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Soft green with pink and silver tinges |
| Native to | Japan, China and Korea. |
The Butterfly Japanese Maple is an upright, shrub-like Japanese maple with variegated foliage of 5 to 7 lobed soft green leaves, tinged with silver and pink colors at the edges. The silver and pink parts of the leaves turn a dark shade of crimson or magenta during the fall season.
These Japanese maple varieties are excellent for large containers and gardens. They prefer partial or full sunlight and moist, clayey, mildly acidic type of soil.
11. Emperor One Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Emperor One Japanese Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 12 to 15 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Crimson-Red |
| Native to | Japan, China and Korea. |
The Emperor-1 is a comparatively taller, upright Japanese maple tree that grows up to a height of about 15ft. These types of Japanese maple trees have blackish-red bark and their leaves retain beautiful colors almost all year round.
These kinds of Japanese maples are purple-red in spring and summer but turn into a beautiful crimson-red color during autumn before shedding to the ground. This tree likes full exposure to sunlight or partial shade like most other Maple trees. It prefers moist, fertile and slightly acidic soil to mature healthily.
Related: How to fertilize Japanese maple trees?
12. Filigree Japanese Maple
| Common Name | Filigree Japanese Maple |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 5 to 8 feet |
| Average age | 40 to 70 years |
| Color | Green, Golden. |
| Native to | Japan, China and Korea. |
The Filigree Japanese Maple is one of the smaller Japanese maple trees with spectacular spring colors and a very unusual leaf structure. The leaves are very finely lobed, almost as if someone has had filigree work done on each of them and that is where the name ‘Filigree Japanese Maple’ comes from.
The leaves are colored a very light shade of shiny green and they appear almost white during the summer months. In the autumn, the plant turns to a brilliant shade of golden yellow.
The structure of the plant is similar to that of an open umbrella and it prefers partial or full exposure to sunlight. This variety of Japanese Maple trees can grow in the fertile, clayey and well-drained type of soil and are an excellent addition to any yards, parks or landscapes.
13. Waterfall Japanese maple
| Common Name | Waterfall Japanese Maple. |
| Scientific Name | Acer Palmatum |
| Average Height | 5 to 7 feet |
| Average age | 80 to 100 years |
| Color | Light green |
| Native to | Japan, China and Korea. |
The Waterfall Maple is a majestic-looking lace-leaf maple that is soft-green colored. This specific variety of maple trees has a very unusual waterfall-like cascading structure that is spread to a width of about 5 to 6 feet and hence the name, Waterfall Maple.
The Waterfall Maple is heat tolerant and can mature in full or partial exposure to sunlight. The Japanese Waterfall Maple tree makes an excellent large potted patio tree and can be planted in almost every landscape there is. The plant prefers clayey, loamy and well-drained soil types.
Some Other Mentionable Japanese Maple Varieties
Some other types of Japanese maple trees you should know about are:
- Green Cascade
- Higasayama
- Hogyoku
- Koto Ito Komachi
- Lion’s Mane
- Osakazuki
- Scolopendrifolium
- Seiryu
- Tsugumi
- Velvet Viking
- Villa Taranto
- Vitifolium
These are some other Japanese maples native to Japan, Korea and China. Like all other Japanese maple trees, they grow up to an average height of about 10-20 feet, are deciduous in nature, prefer full or partial exposure to sunlight and thrive in clayey, well-drained soil types.
The Japanese Maple Leaf
Japanese maple trees commonly have deeply lobed leaves that change color throughout the year in accordance with the seasons. There are various kinds of Japanese maples, each having a unique kind of leaf structure and characteristics.
The leaves are usually green, pinkish purple or crimson during the spring and change into yellow or orange during autumn and finally shed to the ground during the winter months. The leaves of Japanese maple tree varieties comprise 5 to 10 lobes on average.
Japanese Maple Size
The Japanese maple trees are comparatively smaller. Although different Japanese maple varieties grow to different heights, most trees only grow up to a height of about 15-20 feet at maturity and their width varies from 6 to 10 feet on average. Due to their small size and compact nature, they are widely used as decorative plants for Asian gardens.
Is There A Japanese Maple Bonsai?
Yes, several varieties of Japanese maple trees can be made into Japanese maple bonsais because of their low and clean grafts. Some examples of certain kinds of Japanese maples that can be made into bonsais are Acer palmatum, Lace-leaf Japanese maple, Crimson-Queen Japanese Maple and the autumn moon Japanese maple.
What Is The Difference Between A Red Maple and A Japanese Maple?
There are a few considerable differences between the Red maple trees and the Japanese maple trees.
- The Japanese maple tree varieties prefer well-drained soil to grow. On the other hand, wet soil or mildly drained soil is preferred by the Red Maple types.
- The Red Maple tree usually has leaves that have 5 lobes whereas; the Japanese maple trees have leaves that comprise 5 to 10 lobes.
Related: How long do maples live? Maple tree growth rate
FAQs Based On Types Of Japanese Maple Trees
Q. Which is the best Japanese maple for the full sun?
Ans: Most Japanese maple varieties are well suited to sunlight. ‘Acnotifolium’ or ‘Maiku Jaku’ is a type of Japanese maple tree that thrives upon receiving full exposure to sunlight. In fact, sunlight is necessary for the plant to be able to showcase its beautiful colors.
Q. What is the prettiest Japanese maple tree?
Ans: There are different types of Japanese maples that are beautiful to look at. Some of the prettiest Japanese maple trees are the Crimson Queen, Coral Bark and the Autumn Moon because they have beautiful foliage and unique, bright fall colors that last throughout winter.
Q. What is the most popular Japanese maple?
Ans: The most popular or common Japanese maple among all kinds of Japanese maples is the ‘Blood good Japanese Maple tree’. It is commonly found in almost all gardens and yards of South-Asian countries.
Q. Which Japanese maple is the smallest?
Ans: Acer Circinatum/Baby buttons, Lemon-lime lace, and Beni Hime are the smallest Japanese maples among all types of dwarf Japanese maples. They are varieties of Japanese Maples that only grow to a height of about 3-8 feet tall.
Q. What is the fastest-growing Japanese maple?
Ans: Tamukeyama Japanese Maple is the fastest-growing Japanese maple tree among all Japanese maple types that has a down pouring structure. However, the growth rate slows with maturity and the tree is about 8 to 10 feet tall at maturity. These Japanese maple varieties are often considered invasive due to their rapid growth rate.
Q. Is there a Japanese maple bush?
Ans: Different kinds of Japanese maples grow to various different heights and widths. Some of the plants are sturdy and tall like full-grown trees while others are vine-like or shrub-like with thin branches and short growth. The shrub-like Japanese maples can often appear to be growing in bushes because of their wide foliage.
To Sum Up…
Various Japanese maple tree varieties have separate foliage, colors, sizes and environmental care preferences. We hope this article has given you a clear idea about all the different types of Japanese maple trees, their distinct characteristics and identifying features.
