‘Suminagashi Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Suminagashi’

Plant Details

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

Height at Maturity: 15-20′

Width at Maturity: 15-18′

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Vase when young, broadening with age

Growth Rate: Fast for a Japanese Maple; 12-18″ per year

Foliage Color in Spring: Purple-Red

Foliage Color in Summer: Maroon

Foliage Color in Fall: Brilliant Red

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

Water Needs: Average, moderately drought tolerant when established

Soil Type: Clay (Amend heavy clay soil at planting time to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sandy (amend quick draining soil for moisture retention), Silt

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, Insect, Disease, Sun Tolerant

Description

One of the faster growing upright Japanese maples we offer, ‘Suminagashi’ can add 12 to 15 inches in height per year. It is vase shape when young then broadening with age to a mature size of 15 to 20 tall and around 10 to 15 feet wide. It features deeply cut 7 to 9 lobed elongated leaves more like a lace leaf maple that provide a fine texture in the landscape. The leaves emerge purple-red in spring turning to maroon in summer. With the arrival of cooler temperatures in fall the leaves turn a brilliant crimson red. The branches on the tree growing in morning sun with afternoon shade in our gardens weep at the end for a graceful effect. That said, Suminagashi tolerate and grow a bit more dense in full sun. A truly outstanding cultivar ideal for use in sunny or shady sites and in containers.

Suminagashi translates to “floating ink” in English and pertains to a method of marbling ink on paper developed in Japan.

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, the Suminagashi 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 18 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.

Growing Preferences

Though delicate looking, Japanese Maples are actually very tough and long-lived trees that are very easy to grow in the ground or in pots. 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, you can find a complete listing of our sun-tolerant Japanese Maple varieties here, of which Suminagashi 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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Questions? Contact Us!

The tree arrived in beautiful condition and is a wonderful red maple specimen for my front yard. I am completely satisfied with this purchase.———————————————————–We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG