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Botanical name: Acer palmatum ‘Aureum’
A stunning small tree with graceful, deeply lobed butter-yellow leaves that mature to golden-green, ending with a spectacular display of orange, yellow, or red in the fall; a fine garden accent.
| Hardiness zone | 5a |
|---|---|
| Foliage type | deciduous * |
| Plant form | round |
| Mature height | 14 feet |
| Spread | 10 feet |
| Light requirements | full sun to partial shade |
| Moisture requirements | average to moist |
| Plant origin | import |
* deciduous = loses leaves in winter
Aureum Japanese Maple has attractive chartreuse foliage which emerges buttery yellow in spring. The lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of yellow, orange and red in the fall. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are ornamentally significant.
Aureum Japanese Maple is a deciduous tree with a strong central leader and a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Aureum Japanese Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;
Accent, Mass Planting, Hedges/Screening, General Garden Use, Container Planting
Aureum Japanese Maple will grow to be about 14 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 10 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.
This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Aureum Japanese Maple is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its height, it is often used as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.
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