Radiant Variegated Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Radiant’

Plant Details

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

Height at Maturity: 10-15′

Width at Maturity: 6-8′

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Vase Shape

Growth Rate: Moderate, Fast

Foliage Color in Spring: Pink, White, Green, Rose, Salmon

Foliage Color in Summer: Pink,White,Green, Rose, Salmon

Foliage Color in Fall: Red

Light Needs: Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered 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 – more info, Heat Tolerant, Insect, Disease, Sun Tolerant

Description

A spectacular Acer palmatum and year round color factory in the landscape, the ‘Radiant’ Japanese Maple boasts variegated leaves like no other in shades of pink, rose, salmon, white, and green throughout the spring and summer. The pink variegation may fade to a cream by summer, but the new growth provides more pink variegation giving a cosmos of colors across the tree. Then, in fall, all the foliage turns to a glorious bright red. What’s more, in winter the bark of Radiant turns to light yellow-green with pink swirling. A truly spectacular specimen!

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, the Radiant Variegated 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.

Suggested Spacing: At least 16 feet apart for space between trees

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. Click on the link below under Helpful Articles for Japanese Maple container planting instructions.

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 groundcovers 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.

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 Radiant prefers to be grown in similar conditions. 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 get 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!

Unlike other companies, I have never been disappointed by a Wilson Brothers product. My maple arrived promptly, well packaged, and with soil moist. The specimen was healthy, well branched, with all sides evenly developed. In all respects beyond expectations. I will be ordering again soon. Please keep up your high standards. Thank you!

It’s too early to tell much. But, the tree arrived within 2 days. It was a nice size, well branched, and the soil was moist. We dug it in and watered it, and are hoping for great results in the spring! I’ll get back to you then.—————–WBG Reply: Hi Nancy, Thanks so much for taking the time to provide your review of the Radiant Variegated Japanese Maple. We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! We look forward to hearing back from you!
Beth Steele | Wilson Bros Gardens

I was unable to find a really striking variegated Japanese maple tree variety locally, so I headed for the Internet and found Wilson Bros with just searching online. Of course I was a little leery about ordering a tree online from a company several states away that I didn’t know, so I read tons of reviews and all about the company. I sent some questions over, which they answered promptly and clearly. The tree was sent as soon as I ordered it and arrived carefully packaged and looking great. We planted it the same day and so far it is thriving. I can’t wait to see it grow! Thanks guys! ——————– WBG Reply: Hi Katie! – We’re glad you found us and it has been our pleasure to have served you. Thanks for your review of the Radiant Japanese Maple and all the compliments. Thanks also for sharing the pictures. It looks as though you found just the right spot for it in your home foundation planting. Hope you enjoy this magnificent maple for years to come. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can do for you. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

This tree arrived in excellent condition and was packaged with care. I planted it in a patio container and so far it appears to be thriving! ———————- WBG Reply: Hi Kevin – Thanks so much for your review of the Radiant Japanese Maple tree you purchased from us. Glad to hear it’s doing well after planting and hope you enjoy this stunningly beautiful tree for years to come. You might already know this, but when growing a Japanese maple in a container make sure the drainage hole(s) in bottom of the container are working properly and water only enough to keep the soil damp to lightly moist. They don’t like constantly soggy soil. It’s best to allow the top two inches or so of soil to dry before watering again. At that time, slowly provide water until you see it coming out of the drainage holes. Thanks again and let us know if there’s ever anything else we can do for you. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens

Beautiful, full and healthy- very impressed as it was healthier than most local nurseries have. Shipping was quick and tree well packaged with no damage from shipping. ——————- WBG Reply: Hi John – Thanks so much for the review of the Radiant Japanese Maple tree and for the compliments. Makes everything we do at Wilson Bros Gardens even more worth the while. Let us know if there’s ever anything else we can help you with. We’re at your service! – Brent | Wilson Bros Gardens