‘Waveleaf’ Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Waveleaf’

Plant Details

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

Height at Maturity: approximately 10′ at 10 years old

Width at Maturity: approximately 6-8′ at 10 years old

Growth Habit / Form: Upright

Growth Rate: Moderate

Foliage Color in Spring: Lavender-Pink with Dark Purple veins

Foliage Color in Summer: Greenish-Purple

Foliage Color in Fall: Purple-Red shades

Light Needs: Morning and/or Evening Sun with Afternoon Filtered Sun or Shade, All Day Filtered Sun

Water Needs: Average

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

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

Description

A must for collectors or Japanese maple enthusiasts, ‘Waveleaf’ is an exceptionally rare and stunning selection featuring eye-catching, deeply lobed, wavy-edged, reticulated lavender to lavender-pink leaves with deep purple veins. Purple red shades in fall. Leaf color may vary depending on the amount of sunlight. This is a more recent introduction so we’re not sure how tall and wide it will grow at maturity. A moderate grower with an upright habit, we believe it might 10 feet in 10 years. We suggest morning and/or evening sun with filtered sun or shade during the afternoon. Take time to decide where you’ll showcase this beauty!

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, the Waveleaf 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, in larger landscape spaces they can be grouped or two can be used to accentuate an entryway.

Container culture can extend the useful range of Japanese Maples. They are extremely easy to grow in containers, a practice taken to it’s 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 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. They are very easy to grow in the ground or in containers.

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. ‘Waveleaf’ prefers morning and/or evening sun with filtered sun or shade during the hot afternoon hours. That said, 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!

Meet The Wilson Brothers & Staff

Questions? Contact Us!

I am a collector of JPM’S and when I saw this new variety, I had to have it!
I knew I would never be able to find this at my local nurseries, so I took a chance.
Never ordering from Wilson Brothers before, I didn”t know what to expect.
Some mail order nurseries make promises they do not stand by.
I ordered the 6 Gallon Size and Wow, Wow, Wow!!!!
Came right away with large buds and a beautiful shape. At least 5 feet tall, probably more. Price was less than my local nurseries and the free shipping! Who does that?
Have this inside at night and outside on nice days since Michigan is still cold here.
Thank You Wilson’s Brothers!
I have told all my Gardening Friends about You and will be ordering again!!!———————————-Oh wow!! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks for the wonderful review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG