Red Pygmy Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Red Pygmy

Other Names: Ribbon Leaf Red Japanese Maple

Plant Details

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

Plant Type: Deciduous Tree

Height at Maturity: 6-7′ at 10 years of age; 10-15 at maturity

Width at Maturity: 6-7′ at 10 years of age; 10-12′ at maturity
Spacing: Best as specimen; 12’+ for space between plants

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Rounded

Growth Rate: Moderate 8-12″ per year

Foliage Color in Spring: Red with Purple cast

Foliage Color in Summer: Bronze Green to Purplish Red-Green

Foliage Color in Fall: Gold and Orange shades

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

Water Needs: Average, moderately drought tolerant when established

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

Drainage: Moist But Well Drained – Well drained soil is a must!

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 is ideal

Maintenance: Low

Resistances: Deer, Heat Tolerant, Sun Tolerant, Disease

Description

Discovered in Northwest Italy and winner of the Award of Garden Merit by the Royal Horticultural Society, ‘Red Pygmy’ is a choice linearilobum Japanese Maple selection adored for its soft textured, narrow bamboo-like leaves. It is a captivating small tree 8 to 10 feet tall with an equally wide or wider cloud-like rounded canopy, which is unique for a strapleaf maple. The leaves emerge a pleasing purplish red in spring transitioning to green with a red or purple cast in summer. Cooler temperatures in fall bring attractive yellow, gold and orange shades. Red Pygmy has a faster growth rate than other strapleaf varieties, up to 12 inches per year, and has shown good sun tolerance. That said, for best foliage color we suggest some filtered sun or shade during the afternoon. An eye-pleasing specimen in landscape borders, home foundation plantings, or in pots, planters and other containers that can be situated on patios and around other outdoor sitting and living spaces where the beautiful foliage can be enjoyed from close up.

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, the Red Pygmy Japanese Maple is best used in landscape design as a focal point specimen to draw attention to a specific area of the home or landscape. That said, you can plant it in spaced groupings of three where space allows, or use two to frame an entryway. An ideal selection for landscape beds or in containers.

Suggested Spacing: At least 16 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 choosing 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.

Growing Preferences

Though delicate looking, Japanese Maples are actually very tough and long-lived trees that 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, Red Pygmy Japanese Maple is one that will tolerate more sun than others.

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!

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