Bloodgood Japanese maple

Sun

Full sun to partial shade; morning sun and afternoon shade are best in hot climates. Deep shade weakens the red leaf colour.

Water

Keep soil evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply during dry spells, especially during the first two or three growing seasons; container plants need more frequent checks.

Soil

Moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, preferably slightly acidic. Avoid waterlogged ground, heavily compacted soil and strongly alkaline conditions.

Height

15-25 ft (4.5-7.5 m)

Spread

15-20 ft (4.5-6 m)

Foliage

Opposite, deeply lobed leaves emerge reddish purple, mature to dark burgundy and turn crimson in autumn. Summer colour may become greener in shade or prolonged heat.

Growth

Slow to moderate, usually about 6-12 in (15-30 cm) a year once established.

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 (2.2 m)

3. After 2 years

   8 ft (2.3 m)

4. After 3 years

   8 ft (2.5 m)

5. After 5 years

   9 ft (2.8 m)

About 26 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

Invasive in

the US

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the root flare at soil level, leaving room for the mature crown.
• Water deeply when the upper soil begins to dry; do not leave roots standing in water.
• Spread 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root area, keeping it away from the trunk.
• Feed lightly in spring only if growth is weak or soil is poor; avoid heavy nitrogen feeding.
• Shelter from drying winds and hot afternoon sun, and protect newly opened leaves when a late frost is forecast.

Pruning. Prune sparingly in late summer to remove crossing, damaged or poorly placed branches; remove dead wood whenever needed. Avoid topping or heavy crown thinning, and remove shoots arising below the graft union.

Late winter

Check branch structure and remove dead or storm-damaged wood; avoid routine heavy pruning.

Spring

Watch for late frost as leaves open; cover small trees overnight with horticultural fleece if needed.

Late spring

Refresh mulch and check soil moisture as temperatures rise.

Summer

Water deeply during dry weather and check container plants frequently for drying out.

Late summer

Make any light corrective cuts, preserving the tree's natural branching.

Autumn

Plant while soil is workable and adequately moist; in very cold regions, wait until spring.

Winter

Protect container roots from prolonged hard freezing and ensure drainage holes remain clear.

• Use as a single specimen beside a lawn or terrace, with enough space to see its branching outline.
• Set against green shrubs or a pale wall to make the dark foliage stand out.
• Underplant with ferns, hostas and other shallow-rooted shade plants for a woodland composition.
• Place beside a courtyard seating area for light summer shade and autumn colour.
• Grow in a large, frost-resistant container while young, allowing for regular watering and eventual repotting or planting out.

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

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

Wildlife: Small flowers provide some food for visiting insects, and the branches offer cover and perches for birds. It supports fewer native specialist insects than locally native maples.

• Leaf scorch: brown leaf edges usually follow drought, drying wind or strong heat. Water consistently, mulch the roots and provide afternoon shade; scorched leaves will not recover.
• Verticillium wilt: sudden branch wilt or dieback may indicate this soilborne disease. Remove affected branches, avoid drought stress and seek a diagnosis; there is no reliable chemical cure.
• Root rot: persistent wet soil can cause decline and root death. Improve drainage before planting and avoid overwatering; badly affected trees may need removal.
• Scale insects or aphids: inspect shoots and leaf undersides. Wash off small aphid colonies and use a labelled horticultural oil for scale at the appropriate life stage, avoiding hot weather.

Not known to be toxic to people, cats, dogs or horses; no part is recognized as poisonous. Do not confuse it with red maple (Acer rubrum), whose wilted leaves are dangerous to horses.

Where it spreads. Japanese maple has escaped cultivation and is listed as invasive in Virginia. It can self-seed into woodland in parts of the eastern United States; remove volunteer seedlings near natural areas. Seedlings from 'Bloodgood' are not necessarily true to the cultivar.

• Emperor I Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Wolff')

  Very similar upright growth and dark red foliage, but generally opens its leaves later in spring. Appearance overlaps enough that a reliable nursery label is the best guide.

• Crimson Queen Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Crimson Queen')

  Has finely dissected, lace-like leaves and a low, weeping habit rather than Bloodgood's upright crown and broader leaf lobes.

• Red Norway maple (Acer platanoides 'Crimson King')

  Becomes a much larger tree with broader, less deeply cut leaves. Broken leaf stalks release milky sap, unlike Japanese maple.

Acer is the Latin name for maple, and palmatum refers to the hand-like shape of the lobed leaves.

Propagation. Usually propagated by grafting onto Japanese maple rootstock to preserve the cultivar. Seedlings vary in colour and form and should not be labelled 'Bloodgood'; cuttings are difficult for most home gardeners.

Accepted botanical name

Acer palmatum

In the US and Canada

Introduced in Canada and the lower 48 states.

Native range

Japan and Korea.

Measured

Soil pH 6.5 to 7. Average height 700 cm.

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