As Spring Unfolds, Japanese Maples Unfurl Fresh, Fine-Cut Leaves That Make the Whole Garden Feel Suddenly More Refined.

Exquisite Foliage And Glorious Autumn Colour

Japanese maples (Acer palmatum and A. japonicum cultivars) are famous for their finely divided leaves and remarkable colours. Through spring and summer the foliage can be lime, bronze, burgundy, soft green or almost black‑red, often changing tone as the season progresses. When autumn comes, the whole tree can flare into brilliant scarlet, orange, gold or a blend of all three, especially in a good, settled year. Even in a modest Cambridgeshire garden, a single Japanese maple can be the plant you notice first whenever you step outside, simply because its foliage feels so special.

  • Exquisite Foliage And Glorious Autumn Colour
  • Graceful Shape In A Manageable Size
  • Perfect For Pots, Courtyards And Small Spaces

Japanese Maple at a Glance:

Common name: Japanese maple

Latin name: Acer

Size in UK gardens: Typically 1.5–4m tall and wide, depending on variety and rootstock; some dwarf forms stay around 1–1.5m, while older trees in good soil can become larger.

Best position: A sheltered spot with dappled light or morning sun and afternoon shade; avoid harsh, drying winds and intense midday sun, especially in hot, dry areas.

Soil: Moisture‑retentive but well‑drained, humus‑rich soil, ideally slightly acidic to neutral. In pots, use a good loam‑based or ericaceous compost and avoid limey, very chalky conditions.

Main interest: Fine spring and summer foliage with outstanding autumn colour; some varieties also have attractive winter twigs and bark.

Fragrance: Usually not noticeably scented; appeal is mainly visual.

Hardiness: Generally hardy in most UK gardens once established, especially in sheltered positions; leaves can be damaged by late frosts and strong winds.

Care level: Moderate – easy if you can provide the right spot and steady moisture, a little fussier in exposed, very sunny or very alkaline sites.
Some of our team!

Home-grown, backed by local specialists.

The Simpson’s team raises the majority of our trees here at the nursery. For varieties outside our own production, we work with independent local growers we trust - all chosen for UK climate suitability.

Japanese Maple Care at a Glance:

Planting time: As container‑grown trees, Japanese maples can be planted in most months when the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged, with autumn and early spring usually easiest. Avoid moving them in the very hottest, driest weather if you can.

Watering: Water regularly while establishing, and in dry spells thereafter, particularly on lighter soils and in containers. Aim for consistently moist, not sodden, soil – sudden swings from very dry to very wet are more stressful than gentle, steady moisture.

Feeding: In the ground, a spring mulch of compost or well‑rotted manure is usually enough. In poorer soils or containers, a modest, balanced slow‑release fertiliser in spring, plus a light top‑up of high‑potash feed in summer, keeps growth steady and foliage colourful without forcing it.

Pruning: Japanese maples need very little pruning beyond removing dead, damaged or badly placed branches. Light shaping is best done in mid‑summer or mid‑winter; avoid heavy pruning in late winter and early spring when sap is rising strongly.

Winter: In most UK gardens, established Japanese maples simply sit dormant through winter. A mulch over the root area helps, and container plants may benefit from a more sheltered spot to protect roots from severe cold and repeated freezing and thawing.

Varieties We Usually Stock

Availability is always changing, so please check with us if you have a particular variety in mind.

Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’

Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’

Acer palmatum ‘Crimson Queen’

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum'

A reliable Japanese maple with rich burgundy foliage that keeps its colour well through summer, then finishes with glowing crimson tones in autumn. Upright and well-shaped, it gives strong contrast in borders without feeling fussy. A great “first Japanese maple” for creating instant presence.

A compact Japanese maple with neat leaves edged in cream, often flushed pink in spring. It brings light and fine detail to small gardens, and is excellent in pots near doors or seating. Give it shelter and soft sun for crisp variegation, steady colour, and a very tidy outline.

A classic weeping laceleaf that forms a graceful mound, draping like a living fountain. Leaves emerge red-purple and deepen through the season, then glow in autumn. Perfect by paths or water, where the cascading shape reads well and feels calm up close. Ideal for small spaces.

An elegant laceleaf maple with fresh green foliage and a naturally domed, cascading habit. It brings movement and fine texture to borders, especially in dappled shade where the leaves look feathery. Autumn colour turns warm gold and orange, softly and reliably. Suits part shade.

Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’

Acer palmatum ‘Inaba Shidare’

Acer palmatum ‘Orange Dream’

Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’

A classic sycamore valued for its strong structure and broad canopy of fresh green leaves. It suits larger gardens and open settings where a substantial, long-lived tree is appropriate. A dependable choice for creating shade and presence over time.

A bold sycamore distinguished by deep purple foliage that holds its colour well through the season. It adds contrast and richness to landscapes where green alone can feel flat. Particularly effective as a statement tree in lawns or spacious borders.

An unusual sycamore with marbled foliage in soft green, cream, and pink tones, changing as the leaves mature. It brings lightness and visual interest without feeling showy or overpowering. Best appreciated where its subtle patterning can be seen up close.

A refined sycamore with finely variegated leaves that create a calm, elegant effect. The colouring is more delicate than bold, giving the tree a composed, balanced appearance. Well suited to gardens where quiet detail matters more than drama.

Acer palmatum

Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’

Acer palmatum ‘Bi Hoo’

Acer palmatum ‘Sango-kaku’

A classic sycamore valued for its strong structure and broad canopy of fresh green leaves. It suits larger gardens and open settings where a substantial, long-lived tree is appropriate. A dependable choice for creating shade and presence over time.

A bold sycamore distinguished by deep purple foliage that holds its colour well through the season. It adds contrast and richness to landscapes where green alone can feel flat. Particularly effective as a statement tree in lawns or spacious borders.

An unusual sycamore with marbled foliage in soft green, cream, and pink tones, changing as the leaves mature. It brings lightness and visual interest without feeling showy or overpowering. Best appreciated where its subtle patterning can be seen up close.

A refined sycamore with finely variegated leaves that create a calm, elegant effect. The colouring is more delicate than bold, giving the tree a composed, balanced appearance. Well suited to gardens where quiet detail matters more than drama.

Acer palmatum ‘Skeeter’s Broom’

Acer palmatum ‘Trompenburg’

A classic sycamore valued for its strong structure and broad canopy of fresh green leaves. It suits larger gardens and open settings where a substantial, long-lived tree is appropriate. A dependable choice for creating shade and presence over time.

A bold sycamore distinguished by deep purple foliage that holds its colour well through the season. It adds contrast and richness to landscapes where green alone can feel flat. Particularly effective as a statement tree in lawns or spacious borders.

Frequently Asked Questions

In most parts of the UK, including Cambridgeshire and much of East Anglia, Japanese maples are perfectly happy outdoors all year round, provided you give them a sensible position. They are fully deciduous, so they drop their leaves and rest through winter, which is when they are most cold‑tolerant. The parts that suffer most are the delicate new leaves, which can be nipped by late frosts, and the foliage in general if exposed to strong, drying winds. Planting in a sheltered spot with some dappled shade and a good mulch over the root area is usually all they need.

This is often a combination of sun, wind and uneven moisture, especially in brighter, drier regions. When roots dry out, or when a tree in a hot, exposed spot has to pull water through very fine foliage, the leaf edges can scorch and turn brown or crispy. Very alkaline, chalky soils can also make it harder for the maple to take up nutrients efficiently, contributing to stress. To minimise this, choose a sheltered position with some afternoon shade, keep soil or compost consistently moist (but not soggy), mulch generously, and consider growing very delicate varieties in pots of suitable compost if your soil is very limey.

Japanese maples are at their best in slightly acidic to neutral soils, which is why they’re often seen thriving in woodland‑style gardens and in areas with naturally softer water. That said, many will tolerate mild alkalinity if the soil structure is good and rich in organic matter. On very chalky, lime‑rich soils, they can struggle, showing yellowing leaves and increased scorch. In those circumstances, it’s usually kinder to grow them in a large container or raised bed filled with a loam‑based or ericaceous compost, while regularly mulching with leaf mould or composted bark to keep conditions around the roots more to their liking.

Yes, they are excellent candidates for container growing, especially the smaller and slower‑growing varieties. In a generous pot with good loam‑based or ericaceous compost, a Japanese maple will often reach 1.5–2m over several years and then grow only slowly. You’ll need to water more frequently than you would for a tree in the ground, particularly in summer, and feed lightly in spring and early summer to keep growth steady but not lush. Every few years, refreshing the top layer of compost or repotting into a slightly larger container helps maintain vigour. Managed this way, a potted Japanese maple can be a long‑term, beautifully behaved feature right by the house.