Acer palmatum 'Little Princess'

Vernacular name: 
Japanese maple 'Little Princess'
Famille: 
Sapindaceae

Dwarf Japanese maple with flat spherical habit. Small green plum leaves lined with purple and red orange in autumn. Height of 1,5m.

Classification

Trees and shrubs

Climat

Zone 5: from -29°C to -23°C

Couleur de feuille

  • Orange
  • Cardinal red
  • Red
  • Green

Exposition

  • Sheltered winds
  • Sunny
  • Part shade

Taille

100 to 150cm
1 to 2m

Intérêts remarquables

  • Foliage
  • Dwarf

Plante intéressante

  • In spring
  • In autumn

Type de sol

  • Acidic
  • Neutral

Utilisation au jardin

  • Bonzai
  • Parterre
  • Pot and tray (terrace and balcony)
  • Rockery

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

  • ORIGIN: Horticultural production.
  • CLIMATE: It is resistant to -25 ° C.
  • EXPOSURE: Partial shade to full sun, warm location, sheltered from dry winds.
  • SOIL: Slightly acidic to slightly calcareous, well drained.
  • GROWTH: Slow and steady.
  • PATHOLOGY: Aphids, beetles which feed on the leaves, phytoplasmas which are bacteria at the origin of the formation of witches' brooms.
  • MULTIPLICATION: By grafting.
  • SIZE: Usually size is not necessary. However, this maple is easy to guide and cut to obtain the desired shape. Pruning is practiced at the end of the fall, possibly to remove dead wood.
  • USE: This harmonious little tree finds its place in all gardens, on the edge of flowerbeds or lakes, in large rockeries, in Zen gardens. It is very suitable for making bonsai or growing in pots.
  • NOTE: It is sometimes found in specialized nurserymen.

GENERAL PHYSIOLOGY

  • DIMENSIONS: Height and width of 1.5m.
  • HABIT: Small dwarf tree whose crown is in a ball slightly flattened, even very flattened, regular and dense. It is often grafted onto a stem then naturally taking on the appearance of a small ball tree. With age, the antlers can be particularly tortured giving the appearance of a bonsai without needing to be pruned.
  • BARK: Brown to greenish, smooth.

LEAF PHYSIOLOGY

  • SHAPE: Opposite leaves, simple, palmate: 5 to 7 entire lobes, pointed, with fine margin. They are 4 to 6cm long and wide. Elegant star leaves.
  • COLOR: Light green, ocher bordered with purple in spring, turning completely green in summer. Purple to red or orange in fall. The color is accentuated when the plant is in partial shade and sheltered from dry winds.
  • BOURGEONS: Small red and pointed buds, they measure from 2 to 4mm.
  • NOTE: Deciduous foliage.

FLOWER PHYSIOLOGY

  • TIME: They appear at the same time as the leaves in March-April.
  • SHAPE: Corymb from 3 to 4cm with 10 to 20 flowers.
  • COLOR: Red to crimson red, tinged with yellow.

FRUIT PHYSIOLOGY

  • TIME: April-May.
  • SHAPE: Winged bisamares forming an obtuse angle up to 180 °. The wingspan of the fruit easily reaches 3cm.
  • COLOR: Green then red.
  • SEEDS: Round to oval, pointed at the end, strongly ribbed shell, pink tinged with green. 6 to 8mm long.
  • NOTE: Pollenization occurs only by wind.