Description
Acer palmatum ‘Ō sakazuki’ could be considered one of the the most well-known of all Japanese Maples. The widely-lobed leaves emerge a pale green in the spring (blushed bronze if in a particularly sunny position) and turn a mid green for the summer months. Not the most exciting colour change, I’m sure you’ll agree. However, for those in the know, Acer palmatum ‘Ō sakazuki’ is planted for its incredible autumn colouring which on a good year could be described as a fluorescent crimson (if that’s a thing?). It is one of the very few Japanese maples that can normally be identified from a distance on a gloomy autumn day.
‘Ō sakazuki’ is a relatively fast-growing tree, adding a good 20 to 30cm in height each year and finally reaching around 4 to 5 metres after twenty years or so. Of course, this size will be reduced in a container where its roots are restricted or if it is kept pruned.