Types of Red Japanese Maples

Japanese maple trees, known botanically as Acer palmatum, are a large family of trees with many dozens of cultivars. Japanese maples are prized for their foliage, which can morph in hue throughout the growing season. Red foliage cultivars are prevalent, and some cultivars are renowned for being a particularly vivid hue of red, or for being resistant to sun fade and holding their color.

Bloodgood

Bloodgood is a vigorous growing maple that reaches up to 20 feet in height at maturity, and a canopy spread of up to 20 feet. It has an upright growth habit and produces a deep burgundy red foliage in spring and summer with red leaf stems turning. The leaves turn a bright crimson red in the fall and can persist into early winter.

Dissectum Atropurpureum

Dissectum Atropurpureum is on the smaller side of Japanese maples, but is a relatively fast-growing cultivar. The leaves are a deep red throughout most of the growing season, but can fade to a lighter hue of red by late fall. It has an uptight growth habit with large leaf surfaces and reaches up to 14 feet in height at maturity.

Osakazuki

Osakazuki is a green leaf maple that ages to a bright red hue in summer and fall. It is a speedy grower that reaches up to 20 feet in height at maturity, with leaves that are large for Acer at a diameter of 5 inches. The tree has an upright growth habit and a rounded, versus spreading, canopy.