Mitsuba Yama Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Mitsuba Yama’

Plant Details

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

Height at Maturity: 12-15′

Width at Maturity: 8-12′

Growth Habit / Form: Bushy, Upright, Vase Shape

Growth Rate: Moderate

Foliage Color in Spring: Light Green with Orange to Red Edges

Foliage Color in Summer: Medium Green

Foliage Color in Fall: Yellow & Golden Shades

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

Water Needs: Average, moderately drought tolerant when established

Soil Type: Sandy, Loam & Clay (Condition heavy clay soils when planting)

Drainage: Well drained soil is a must!

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 is ideal

Maintenance: Low

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

Description

An exceptionally rare cultivar for Japanese Maple collectors and enthusiasts, ‘Mitsuba Yama’ sports charming twisted green leaves. If you have Mitsuba Yama in your gardens you’ll be one of a handful of gardeners worldwide to have it!

We’re not absolutely sure but based on the golden tone of the bark on new branches we’re thinking Mitsuba Yama is a member of the “Coral Bark” Japanese Maple family, with golden bark similar to ‘Bihou’ but not as loud. The bark on new growth is a light yellow and bright green on the older branches, which makes this tree stand out beautifully against a dark background. New leaves emerge light green with a dark orange to reddish edge. As the leaves mature they begin to twist and turn in every direction, changing to solid green for summer. Fall brings brilliant shades of gold and orange with pink and red hues. An upright grower with a very natural branch system to 10 to 15 feet in height with a 8 to 12 foot spread makes Mitbusa Yama an excellent selection for garden beds or in containers.

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, the Mitsuba Yama 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 said, you can plant them in groupings of three or plant one on both sides of an entryway to accentuate the entrance.

Spacing: At least 15 feet apart for space between trees

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.

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.

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a, where this Japanese Maple variety is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

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 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 Mitsuba Yama 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!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us!