Oregon Sunset Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Oregon Sunset’

Plant Details

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

Height at Maturity: 6-10′ or so

Width at Maturity: 8-10′ or so

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Broad

Growth Rate: Slow

Foliage Color in Spring: Soft Red

Foliage Color in Summer: Burgundy to Plum-Purple
Foliage Color in Fall: Brilliant Red with the colors of a ‘Sunset’

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: Clay (amended), Loam, Sandy (amended)

Drainage: Well drained soil is a must!

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 is ideal

Maintenance: Low

Resistances: Deer – more info, Disease, Heat Tolerant, Insect Resistant, Sun Tolerant

Description

Definitely one of the most distinct Japanese maples in our gardens, the Oregon Sunset is a semi-dwarf Japanese Maple with an upright, yet somewhat broad form featuring wonderful arrays of color throughout the growing seasons. The new leaves in spring emerge a soft, natural red, turning burgundy to plum-purple in summer, and finally in fall to a brilliant bright red mixed with the colors of a magnificent sunset. Especially in fall, guests to our gardens always stop for a closer inspection to ask the name of this beauty. They aren’t surprised when we tell them it’s “Oregon Sunset” as it has some of the best fall colors of any cultivar, reminiscent of a beautiful sunset.

Excellent in landscape beds or containers, Oregon Sunset grows 4 to 5 feet tall and maybe 6 to 7 feet wide in about 10 years, and maybe 8 to 10 feet tall and wide in 20 years.

Landscape & Garden Uses

Growing 6 to 10 feet tall and wide, to showcase its unique magnificence and beauty, Oregon Sunset 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 in groupings of three or plant one on both sides of an entryway to accentuate the entrance. Excellent for use in container gardens and bonsai.

Suggested Spacing: At least 15 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.

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. In fact, Shishigashira is one of the most popular Japanese Maples for use as a container specimen or bonsai.

Growing Preferences

Though delicate looking, Japanese Maples are actually very tough and long-lived trees. They are very easy to grow. Container culture can extend their useful range. They are extremely easy to grow 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, Oregon Sunset is one that performs quite well in full sun. In southernmost regions where it will grow we recommend a little shade in the hottest part of the afternoon 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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