Acer palmatum 'KATSURA'

Katsura is a Japanese maple that is highly decorative especially in spring, when new leaves emerge, and in autumn, when they change again. They are typically palmate, rather small, 5-lobed, chartreuse yellow-green with coppery margins in early spring, rich green in summer, and glowing golden-yellow and orange in autumn. Leaf stalks are red as well as small flowers which appear in April and are not too showy from the distance.

Katsura maple makes a vase-shaped shrub or small tree. It grows slowly and only when it reaches about 2m tall it begins to spread its branches to sides, which results in almost equal size in height and width. Pruning is not necessary but a lot of gardeners prefer to shape it. As with every maple, pruning is best done from late autumn to midwinter as prevention from bleeding sap. If you miss this period do so early in the spring after danger of frost but before it emerges.

Japanese maples prefer acidic to neutral soil, moist but well drained, semi-fertile. Mulch them well. Fully hardy to approx. -27°C (USDA zone 5).

Last update 01-02-2013