Crimson Queen laceleaf maple

Sun

Morning sun and afternoon shade, or light dappled shade. More sun is suitable in cool climates if the soil stays moist; protect from hot afternoon sun and drying winds.

Water

Keep the root zone evenly moist but not waterlogged. Water deeply during dry spells, especially during the first two growing seasons and when grown in a container.

Soil

Moist, well-drained soil rich in organic matter, preferably slightly acidic. Avoid waterlogged ground and shallow, drought-prone soil.

Height

6-10 ft (1.8-3 m), sometimes taller with age

Spread

8-12 ft (2.4-3.7 m)

Foliage

Deeply cut, lace-like leaves emerge crimson, remain burgundy through much of summer and turn scarlet in autumn. Summer colour can become greener in heavy shade.

Growth

Slow; usually takes many years to develop its mature spread.

Care needed

Medium

• Wildlife

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

Difficulty

Moderate

Toughness

Needs looking after

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

1. Planting day

   7 ft (2 m)

2. After 1 year

   7 ft (2 m)

3. After 2 years

   7 ft (2 m)

4. After 3 years

   7 ft (2 m)

5. After 5 years

   7 ft (2.1 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

Invasive in

the US

Growth rate

Slow

• Plant with the root flare at soil level and leave enough room for the branches to spread naturally.
• Water deeply when the upper soil begins to dry; check containers more often during warm or windy weather.
• Apply 2-3 in (5-8 cm) of organic mulch over the root zone, 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 young leaves from drying winds, late frost and strong afternoon sun.
• Use a broad container with drainage holes if growing in a pot; protect the root ball from severe winter freezing.

Pruning. Prune sparingly in late summer, removing dead, damaged or crossing growth and making small cuts back to a branch junction. Preserve the cascading framework; avoid shearing and heavy spring pruning, when cuts can bleed sap.

Spring

Check soil moisture as leaves emerge and protect tender growth if a late frost is forecast.

Mid-spring

Refresh the mulch, keeping it away from the trunk; feed lightly only if needed.

Summer

Water deeply during dry weather and check container plants frequently.

Late summer

Remove small dead, damaged or crossing branches without changing the natural outline.

Autumn

Plant while the soil is workable, allowing space for the mature canopy.

Winter

Protect container roots from prolonged freezing and check that drainage holes remain clear.

• Use as a specimen beside a path or patio where its finely cut leaves can be seen closely.
• Place above a low retaining wall so the cascading branches soften the edge.
• Combine with green ferns, hostas and sedges for contrasting colour and leaf texture.
• Grow in a large container in a sheltered courtyard, allowing room for its broad canopy.
• Set beside stones or a pond in a Japanese-style garden, keeping roots out of saturated ground.

Garden styles it suits: Japanese, Japandi, Modern courtyard, Woodland, Autumn colour and Small-space.

Plant it with: Hostas, Japanese painted fern, Japanese forest grass, Epimediums, Hellebores and Japanese sedges.

Wildlife: Small flowers provide some food for insects, and the branching canopy offers shelter for small birds. It is not a substitute for locally native trees where wildlife support is the main aim.

• Leaf scorch: brown, crisp leaf edges usually follow drought, drying wind or excessive heat. Water deeply, mulch and provide afternoon shade; damaged leaves will not recover.
• Verticillium wilt: sudden wilting or dieback of individual branches needs diagnosis. Remove affected branches and avoid drought stress; there is no reliable chemical cure.
• Root rot: persistent wet soil can cause poor growth, wilting and root decay. Improve drainage and avoid overwatering; severely affected trees may need replacing.
• Scale insects: inspect twigs for fixed bumps, sticky honeydew or sooty mould. Prune out small infestations and use a labelled horticultural oil at the appropriate stage if necessary.

Not known to be toxic to cats, dogs or people. Acer palmatum is not established as a cause of maple poisoning in horses, but horse-specific safety information is limited; do not deliberately feed its leaves or prunings to horses.

Where it spreads. The species can escape by seed in parts of the eastern United States, particularly the Mid-Atlantic. 'Crimson Queen' is not generally an aggressive spreader, but remove unwanted seedlings near natural woodland.

• Inaba-shidare Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Inaba-shidare')

  Also has dissected red leaves, but typically develops a more upright framework and a taller, less flattened outline.

• Tamukeyama Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Tamukeyama')

  Has a similar cascading habit but often shows darker purple-red foliage. The two can be difficult to distinguish reliably without a cultivar label.

• Garnet Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Garnet')

  Usually has warmer garnet-red foliage and somewhat larger leaf segments; colour varies with light and climate, so appearance alone is not conclusive.

Palmatum refers to the hand-like arrangement of the leaf lobes, while laceleaf describes their finely divided appearance.

Propagation. Usually propagated by grafting onto Japanese maple rootstock to preserve the cultivar. Seedlings will not reliably retain its colour or weeping habit; grafting is specialist work.

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.