General Culture:

Easily grown in average, medium moisture, well-drained soils in full sun to part shade. Prefers evenly moist, acidic soils with good drainage in part shade.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

Native to forests in Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia and eastern Russia, Acer pictum is a deciduous tree that typically grows to 30-40’ (less frequently to 60') tall with a rounded spreading crown. It sometimes grows in a shrubby form. Variable leaves (3-6” long) have 5-7 triangular lobes. Leaves emerge with bronze tints in spring, mature to bright green by summer and turn attractive shades of yellow and orange in fall. Leaf stems exude a milky sap when cut. Greenish-yellow flowers appear in April-May in upright clusters (umbels). As with most maples, the flowers are not showy. Fruit is a samara (to 1.5” long). Some authorities object to the use of Acer pictum to describe any maple because of a prior incorrect use of that name to describe Kalopanax pictum now known as Kalopanax septemlobus.