Acer 'IslID' ICE DRAGON® hybrid Korean maple
Acer
Korean maple is a less common species in European cultivation, and as the name suggests its native habitat are the forests of Korea and North China. It is a sought-after plant among those who love Japanese maples but don't succeed in growing them for whichever reason. Korean maple as well its hybrids are remarkably similar-looking large shrubs or small trees which are not prone to typical Japanese maples diseases and will grow in almost any soil without any maintenance.
ICE DRAGON® is a hybrid Korean maple (a. palmatum x a. pseudosieboldianum), the smallest variety from the Jack Frost® series developed by Iseli Nurseries in Oregon, USA. It has finely cut, 7-lobed, deciduous leaves, almost identical to those on Japanese maples from the dissectum group. They are green in summer and carmine red and orange in autumn. They keep growing all season long so you can see red leaves at the tips of the branches from spring to autumn. In spring emerge numerous small purple red flowers and after them do the small winged fruit (samaras).
It grows moderately (20-30 cm per year) into a dome-shaped shrub with arching branches, about 2.5 m tall and a little wider in maturity. It can be shaped by trimming or pruned to be kept smaller, best of which is done from late autumn to mid winter during frost-free periods in order to prevent from sap-bleeding.
Korean maple loves full sun and will tolerate a little bit of partial shade. It does not require acidic soil like Japanese maples but will produce better and deeper colours of autumn foliage if grown in acid soil. It should be fertile and evenly moist all year round so mulching is recommended. It dislikes drought and compacted ground. Extremely hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4).
Last update 16-02-2021
