‘Jade Dragon’ Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Jade Dragon’

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone

Plant Type: Deciduous Tree

Height at Maturity: 3′ in 20-25 years

Width at Maturity: 2.5-3′ in 25 years

Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Upright, Round Vase

Growth Rate: Slow

Foliage Color in Spring: Chartreuse to Lime Green

Foliage Color in Summer: Rich Deep Green with Chartreuse new growth

Foliage Color in Fall: Bright Golden-Orange shades

Light Needs: Zone 5-7: Full Sun or Mostly Sun or Part Shade | Zones 8-9: Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade and/or Evening Sun

Water Needs: Average, moderately drought tolerant when established

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

Drainage: Moist But Well Drained – Good drainage is essential with Japanese maples

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 is ideal

Maintenance: Low

Resistances: Deer, Cold and Heat Tolerant, Insect Resistant, Sun Tolerant, Disease

Description

A rare selection excellent for miniature gardens and containers, at maybe 3 feet tall and wide over 20 to 25 years, and that’s with no pruning, the ‘Jade Dragon’ is the smallest growing of the upright Japanese Maples, at least that we’ve ever grown. The dense tightly clustered foliage consists of tiny jagged-edged leaves that emerge bright chartreuse in spring maturing to a deep rich green in summer. The leaves turn to bright golden and orange shades with the arrival of cooler temperatures in fall. Both cold and heat tolerant, Jade Dragon has stood up well to sun in our north-central Georgia nursery and gardens. We hear its heat hardy as far south as north-central Florida (USDA Zone 9), but will appreciate some filtered sun or shade during the afternoon hours in hot climates.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Japanese Maples are best used in the landscape as a focal point specimen to draw attention to a specific area of the home or landscape. That said, you can plant them in groupings of three or plant one on both sides to frame and accentuate an entryway.

Spacing: Use as specimen

Note: Avoid overcrowd this Japanese maple selection with other trees and plants. For underplanting, make sure to select mat forming groundcover plants such as Dwarf Mondo Grass or Creeping Thyme, which 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 both 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, of which Jade Dragon is one.

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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