Beni Maiko Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Beni Maiko’

Other Common Names: Red Dancing Girl Japanese Maple, Red Haired Girl Japanese Maple, Red Hair Dancing Girl Japanese Maple

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9a (9b in shade?) Find Your Zone

Height at Maturity: 8-10′ at 10 years old; 12’+ at maturity

Width at Maturity: 6-8′ at 10 years old; 10’+ at maturity

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Irregular form

Growth Rate: Moderate

Foliage Color in Spring: Bright Cherry Red

Foliage Color in Summer: Coral and Light Green

Foliage Color in Fall: Deep Fire Red and Orange shades

Light Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun, Mostly Shade

Water Needs: Average, moderately drought tolerant when established

Soil Type: Clay (Amend heavy clay to ensure good drainage), Sandy, Loam, Silt

Drainage: Moist But Well Drained – Well drained soil is a must for Japanese Maples!

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 is ideal

Maintenance: Low

Resistances: Cold Temperatures (-20F / Zones 5-8), Deer – more info, Insect, Disease

Description

Winner of the coveted Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society, ‘Beni Maiko’ is a small upright Japanese Maple tree with very unique and outstanding characteristics, putting on a color show like no other throughout the growing seasons. ‘Beni Maiko’ translates to “Red Haired Dancing Girl,” which accurately describes its upright, vased-shape, graceful habit with branches twisting in different directions. The color show starts in spring when the new leaves emerge an unrivaled bright cherry red sometimes with pinkish tones. As summer approaches the foliage turns pinkish-red with green undertones. By late summer the mature leaves turn to green but new uniquely puckered leaves emerge a brilliant red. With the arrival of cooler temperatures in fall the stage is set for the final show of the season when the leaves turn fiery red and orange shades. Although full sun is tolerated in cool summer climates, some filtered sun or shade during the afternoons will be appreciated, and we think she just looks better in a partially shaded more natural environment. Excellent for landscape beds or in containers, Beni Maiko might reach 8 to 10 feet tall and 6 to 8 feet wide at 10 years of age, gradually becoming a little taller and wider over time.

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, Beni Maiko Japanese Maple is best used in the landscape as a focal point specimen to draw attention to a specific area of the home or landscape. That being said, you can plant them in groupings of three or use two to frame an entrance. Container culture can extend the useful range of Japanese Maples. They are extremely easy to grow in containers, a practice taken to its most extreme form in the art of bonsai.

Suggested Spacing: At least 12 feet apart for space between trees

Note: One Japanese Maple can make a landscape…that is if you don’t overcrowd it with other trees and plants. Therefore, when selecting companions to plant under or around your Japanese Maple, make sure to select low-growing shrubs or groundcover plants that won’t interfere at all with your tree.

Growing Preferences

Though delicate looking, Japanese Maples are actually very tough and long-lived trees. They are very easy to grow in the ground or in containers, a practice taken to its most extreme form in the art of bonsai.

In their natural habitat, Japanese Maples are understory trees, growing in dappled forest sunlight at the edges of woodlands. Ideally, they prefer to be grown in similar conditions. That said, you can find a complete listing of our sun-tolerant Japanese Maple varieties here.

Most any average garden soil will grow Japanese Maples. They prefer a moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter. As with so many other ornamental plants and trees, constantly soggy or wet soil can be problematic. So make sure to plant your Japanese Maple in a well-drained site.

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Japanese Maple trees.

How To Plant A Japanese Maple Tree In The Ground

How to Plant A Japanese Maple Tree In A Pot

How To Fertilize And Water A Japanese Maple Tree

How To Prune A Japanese Maple

Plant Long & Prosper!

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