Fullmoon Maple (Acer japonicum)
Identifying Features
Plant Family: Sapindaceae
Native Range: Japan
Leaf: deciduous, opposite, deeply lobed with palmate veins
Twig and Bud: twig smooth, current year’s is reddish green, marked change to older stems which are brown
Flower, Fruit and Seed: flowers small, purplish-red, borne in pendulous clusters, fruit is a winged samara
Bark: smooth and gray
Shape and Mature Height: shrub or small tree, often multi-trunked, 20-30 feet tall
Garden Value and Considerations
Fullmoon maples prefer moist, well-drained soil and dappled shade. Can grow in part shade to full sun, but the leaves may scorch with too much sun particularly in hot summers. It reportedly does not perform well south of USDA Zone 7. Fullmoon maples have showy flowers that bloom in early spring. These trees offer striking fall color in shades of yellow and red.
Notes
The common name comes from the rounded leaves which are thought to look like a full moon.
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