Omato Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Omato’

Plant Details

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

Height at Maturity: maybe 10-12′ at 10 years of age; 20-24′ at maturity

Width at Maturity: maybe 7-8′ at 10 years of age; 15-20′ at maturity

Growth Habit / Form: Upright Rounded Vase

Growth Rate: Moderate

Foliage Color in Spring: Golden-Chartreuse with Orange highlights on the edges

Foliage Color in Summer: Bright to Medium Green

Foliage Color in Fall: Vibrant Rich Red

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, Disease, Sun Tolerant

Description

A strong and large growing extremely handsome Japanese Maple tree, ‘Omato’ is an upright grower with a rounded vase form that can reach 24 feet in height with a 20 foot spread at maturity, adding a foot or so in height per year. It features large, 5 to 7 lobed palmate leaves that emerge a bright chartreuse-green in spring accented in orange around the edges of the lobes. Bright red wing-like seeds that some folks call “helicopters” contrast nicely with the foliage. The leaves turn to a light to medium green during summer before changing to a rich brilliant red with purple hues in fall. Absolutely stunning! Excellent for planting around patios, decks and other outdoor living spaces where it will serve as a beautiful small shade tree. Its heavier branch structure is extremely handsome during winter.

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, the Omato Japanese Maple is best used as a focal point specimen to draw attention to a specific area of the home or landscape. That said, you can plant several in a grouping or use two to frame an entrance.

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 with or overcrowd your tree.

Growing Preferences

Though delicate looking, Japanese Maples are actually very tough and long-lived trees. They are very easy to grow.

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 Omato 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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