What is a Japanese Maple?
To most people, Japanese maples are the various forms and selections of Acer palmatum, a species endemic to Japan. In a broader sense, some nurseries will classify Japanese maples as including those species that are closely related and/or look similar to A. palmatum. These include A. japonicum, A. sieboldianum, A. pseudosieboldianum , A circinatum and A. shirasawanum. Technically, this is a false classification as A. pseudosieboldianum is native to Korea, not Japan. Meanwhile, A. circinatum, the vine maple, is native to the Pacific Northwest and is simply an American ‘Japanese maple’ wannabe! To plant taxonomists, Japanese maples include all those species native to Japan, which surprisingly includes 23 species! For the purpose of this article we will classify Japanese maples as selections and forms of A. palmatum. Few maples exhibit as much variation in plant form, leaf form, size or colour as Japanese maples. The Japanese have been breeding and selecting this maple for well over 300 y
