Autumn Moon full moon maple

Sun

Morning sun and afternoon shade, or light dappled shade. Some direct sun improves the orange colouring, but strong sun in hot climates can scorch the leaves.

Water

Keep evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply during dry spells, especially while establishing and when grown in a container.

Soil

Humus-rich, well-drained soil, preferably slightly acidic to neutral. Avoid waterlogged ground, very dry sandy soil and strongly alkaline conditions.

Height

10-15 ft (3-4.5 m), sometimes taller with age

Spread

10-15 ft (3-4.5 m)

Foliage

Broad, rounded leaves with numerous pointed lobes. New foliage is yellow-green washed with orange or salmon-pink, becoming more chartreuse in shade; autumn colour ranges from orange to red.

Growth

Slow; often takes 15-20 years or more to approach its mature garden size.

Care needed

Medium

• Pollinators
• Wildlife

Northern hemisphere months. In Australia, shift them by six.

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Fairly tough

Pick your zone, country, light and whether you have pets.

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2.1 m)

3. After 2 years

   7 ft (2.1 m)

4. After 3 years

   7 ft (2.2 m)

5. After 5 years

   7 ft (2.3 m)

About 32 years to full size.

From a typical nursery size, at an average rate for this kind of plant. A rule of thumb, not a forecast.

Cats and dogs

Safe

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the root flare at soil level and any graft union above the soil.
• Water deeply through the first two growing seasons; thereafter, water during prolonged dry weather.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of leaf mould or bark mulch, keeping it clear of the trunk.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak or the soil is poor; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Shelter from drying winds and late frosts, which can damage emerging leaves.
• For container growing, use a large pot with drainage holes and check moisture frequently in summer.

Pruning. Prune sparingly in late summer while the tree is in leaf, removing dead, damaged or crossing branches with small cuts. Avoid heavy shaping and late-winter or spring pruning, when cuts may bleed sap.

Early spring

Check mulch depth and apply a light feed only if needed.

Spring

Protect emerging leaves with horticultural fleece when a late frost is forecast.

Summer

Check soil moisture during dry weather and water deeply before leaves wilt or scorch.

Late summer

Remove dead or crossing branches if needed; keep pruning light.

Autumn

Plant when the soil is moist and workable, allowing time for rooting before severe frost.

Winter

Check container drainage and shelter pots from severe freezing and drying winds.

• Use as a small specimen tree beside a patio or path where the leaf colour can be seen closely.
• Place against dark evergreen shrubs to make the pale, orange-flushed foliage stand out.
• Combine with ferns, hostas and woodland perennials in a sheltered, lightly shaded border.
• Grow in a large container in a sheltered courtyard, with reliable watering and protection for the roots in cold winters.

Garden styles it suits: Japanese, Woodland, Modern courtyard, Japandi, Autumn colour and Pacific Northwest woodland.

Plant it with: Japanese painted fern, Hosta, Epimedium, Japanese forest grass, Camellia and Hellebore.

Wildlife: The small spring flowers can provide food for visiting insects, and the branches offer cover and perching sites for garden birds.

• Leaf scorch: brown edges usually follow hot sun, drying wind or drought; provide afternoon shade, mulch and steady moisture.
• Late-frost damage: young leaves may blacken or shrivel; protect small trees when frost is forecast and wait for replacement growth before removing damaged shoots.
• Verticillium wilt: sudden wilting or branch dieback can indicate this soil-borne disease; seek a diagnosis, remove dead wood and avoid replanting susceptible trees in affected soil.
• Root rot: declining growth in persistently wet soil calls for better drainage; do not leave container plants standing in water.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats or dogs. Horse safety is not well established for this species; keep its fallen leaves and seeds out of paddocks because some other maple species are seriously poisonous to horses.

• Golden full moon maple (Acer shirasawanum 'Aureum')

  Has similarly rounded leaves but is generally a clearer yellow or yellow-green, without the characteristic orange-pink overlay of 'Autumn Moon'; light conditions affect both.

• Fernleaf full moon maple (Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium')

  Its green leaves are cut much more deeply into narrow, toothed lobes, giving a fernlike appearance rather than the broad, shallowly divided leaves of 'Autumn Moon'.

The species name honours Japanese botanist Homi Shirasawa, while 'full moon maple' refers to the nearly circular outline of its leaves.

Propagation. Usually propagated by grafting onto a suitable maple rootstock, a specialist task. Seedlings will not reliably retain the colour or growth habit of 'Autumn Moon'.

Accepted botanical name

Acer shirasawanum

Native range

Japan.

Sources: GBIF (CC BY 4.0) and Trefle (CC BY 4.0). The care and design notes are LandscapeGPT's own.