Plant: Sango Kaku - Japanese Maple

Plant description

Sango kaku, the coral bark Japanese maple, is grown above all for the brilliant red coral bark on its young branches, which intensifies in winter and turns almost fluorescent after the leaves fall. It grows roughly a foot a year to about 15 to 20 feet, and may reach a landscape size of 25 feet tall by 20 feet wide. New leaves are bright clear green with red margins, deeply cut and pale green through summer against bright red stems, then turn vibrant golden yellow with accents of red and orange in fall. Sited where the winter stems can be seen, it gives year round interest as a specimen or accent.

Flowers

Small red to purple flowers appear in spring; attractive viewed closely but insignificant from a distance.

Foliage

Deeply cut, pale to bright green leaves with attractive red margins, turning vibrant golden yellow with accents of red and orange in fall.

Fruit

A schizocarp of two samaras with incurved wings forming an arch, becoming reddish in fall.

Bark & stems

Young branches carry brilliant red coral bark that intensifies in winter; the bark on new twigs turns bright, almost fluorescent coral red after the leaves fall.

Light

Morning Sun, Dappled/Filtered Light

Native range

Japan, China, Korea, eastern Mongolia and southeastern Russia

Plant details