Trees:Acers & Japanese Maples
Snakebark Maple. A very attractive tree with grey/green bark longitudinally striped, which becomes wonderfully fissured with age. The tri-lobed leaves emerge almost scarlet in the spring and turn a vivid green for the summer. Left ti its own devices it can reach in excess of 5 metres and makes a n absolutely stunning specimen tree. Suitable for a container for the younger part of its life.
Snakebark Maple. Originally introduced from China by a French missionary, this is a lovely small tree with arching branches and attractive red-tinged, white-streaked bark. The mid-green leaves turn orange and yellow in autumn with green and red fruits. Beautiful specimen tree.
Paperbark Maple. This is a Maple quite like any other with a leaf not dis-similar in shape to an oak leaf. The leaves are a vibrant green throughout spring and summer and turn to the most amazing scarlet reds and beyond in the autumn months. It derives its common name from the peeling chocolate brown bark which gives added winter interest - most stunning when wet. Plant in semi shade in good rich soil for best results.
A very popular Japanese Maple due to its fantastic deep red colour which can sometimes almost be black-red. It has excellent autumn colour when it becomes a fiery scarlet. One of the best Maples for planting in a sunny position as it holds its colour better than some other red palmatums. Eventual size would be around 5 metres in height but it responds well to pruning if you wish to keep it smaller.
Where do we start with such a stunning Maple? The new growth emerges a pale, yellow orange with orange margins which turn to light green for the summer. In the autumn, the lightly toothed leaves then change through a mixture of bright yellows and oranges before falling. It will form quite an upright tree and will benefit from pruning to ensure a compact plant.
Japanese maple. A beautiful small tree, with bright green deeply lobed leaves turning bright red in autumn. This is perhaps one of the best Japanese Maples for autumn colour. Eventual height is around 5 metres after many years. It prefers slightly acidic and free draining soil in semi shade. Make sure it is planted out of strong winds and keep well watered until established.
Coral Bark Maple. Literally translated, 'Sango Kaku' means 'coral tower', in reference to the stunning bark colour of this maple. Most notable during the depths of winter, the red bark shines out when everything else is dull. It is offset well in the spring and summer by bright green leaves which turn a fantastic butter yellow in the autumn. Plant in full sun for best effect.
One of the best Maples for spring colour. The new leaves emerge a very intense scarlet and remain so for around a month, after which they turn to an attractive reddish-green. In the autumn, the colours can be anywhere between bright red and bright orange. This Maple is excellent in a container as long as it is not allowed to dry out throughout the summer. The brighter the position it is placed in, the better the leaf tones.
One of the best green Dissectums with holds its lime-green colour well throughout most of the season, soon turning to a multitude of golds and yellows for the autumn. This makes an excellent conatiner plant and is best sited in semi-shade to avoid scorch from the intense mid-summer sun. The eventual height would be around 1.8 metres or so and a striking domed look the the plant as a whole.
