General Description | Acer nipponicum, is a fast-growing deciduous tree that has attractive flowers. This tree is known to have one of the largest leaves in the Acer family. The deep-green leaves turn a golden-yellow colour in autumn. |
Shape | Upright with a densely-branching crown. |
Landscape | Naturalization is recommended, due to its beautiful golden-yellow leaves in autumn. It is also used in landscapes as borders, hedges, windbreaks, screens, street trees and mass plantings. |
Cultivation | Best grown in sandy-loam that is well-drained. |
Pests | Leaf scorch can be a problem. Light brown or dead spots between leaf veins or around the leaf margins can be found as symptoms. |
Notable Specimens | Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, Tetbury, Gloucestershire and England. |
Habitat | It is native to the mountain regions of Japan. |
Bark/Stem Description | Green when immature evolving into smooth a reddish-brown colour with distinctive lenticels as it matures. |
Flower/Leaf Bud Description | It has 2-paired green and brown bud scales. |
Leaf Description | Leaves are broad-ovate, lobed, light green colour, turning into a beautiful golden yellow colour in autumn. Leaves are up to 10 - 20 cm in length, and 15 cm in width with rusty-brown pubescence on the underside. |
Flower Description | A densely packed cluster of green flowers are hanging down loosely on the tree. It is generally andromonoecious, but some trees have androecious flowers. |
Fruit Description | Nutlets are globe-shaped, and fruit wings are 3 - 5 cm in length. |
Colour Description | Its foliage changes colour from deep-green to golden-yellow in autumn. Leaves will wilt and drop in winter. |
Texture Description | Rough texture. |