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Buy Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'

Also Known As

Butterfly Japanese Maple

Plant type

tree

size

H: 8'-12'
W: 4'-10'

planting zones

6b-9b

3 gallon bagged root ball | $121

Ships UPS, flat charge based on order total

30 at Gossler Farms

#1 Container | $59.99

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Fewer than 20 at Conifer Kingdom

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Acer palmatum 'Butterfly' plant details

Acer palmatum 'Butterfly' is a fast-growing broadleaf deciduous tree with green, pink, variegated and white foliage. In spring chartreuse flowers emerge. Attracts bees, beneficial insects and birds making it an excellent addition to pollinator gardens. Grows well with sun - mostly shade and even moisture - regular water. Does well in average, rich and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something humidity tolerant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'

Plant type: tree
Plant family: sapindaceae
Foliage: deciduous green, pink, variegated and white
Mature size: 4 FT - 10 FT - wide, 8 FT - 12 FT - tall
Flowers: chartreuse blooms in spring
Uses: fall color, small tree

GROWING CONDITIONS for Acer palmatum 'Butterfly'

USDA Zones: 6b - 9b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly shade
Watering frequency: even moisture - regular
Resistant to: humidity
Soil needs: average, rich and well-drained

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Nursery contributed plant descriptions

This plant has been available for many decades. The pink-white variegated leaves are beautiful all summer. We do some minor pruning each summer to remove the reversions.

By: Gossler Farms

Dainty and attractive, this slow-growing, gracefully upright small tree has irregularly shaped leaves, bluish-green with pink and cream margins. PSh/M

By: Forestfarm

Butterfly Japanese Maple is a stunning small tree. Its variegated foliage emerges in spring tinged in pink. Green leaves with silvery white margins transform to a scarlet-magenta in fall for a spectacular show. Butterfly is a dense, slow growing, shrub-like tree. With a variety of leaf colors, shapes and sizes, Butterfly Japanese Maple is sure to dazzle in any garden setting.

By: Maples N More Nursery

Beautiful jagged-edged leaves on this delicate maple have white margins that resist burning. Fairly similar to 'Butterfly' but with slightly different variegation.

By: Conifer Kingdom

An attractive variegated Japanese Maple, 'Butterfly' displays dense foliage and a compact habit with cream-colored leaf margins that develop orange and red hues through the fall. These are typically difficult to find in the nursery trade due to their slower growth which leads to slower propagation. The habit is upright with a narrow form that lends this variety to bonsai use and for Japanese garden plantings.
Care and Receiving Your Tree

Like with other plants that are shipped bare root, you should plant your tree as soon as possible. When planting be sure to spread the roots out a little so they are not clumped together at the bottom of the hole. Japanese Maples want the top of their root crown to be covered with just an inch of soil - be careful not to apply heavy mulch directly on top of the roots as this can suffocate them. Water heavily as soon as you plant your tree but after that be careful not to over-water this beautiful specimen - Japanese Maples prefer long but less frequent watering. During the growing season we water our established trees for two hours once per week, depending on the climate and how hot/dry the weather is (maybe a little more frequently during the hottest part of the year and less frequently during spring and fall when it is cooler). If you are growing your Japanese Maples in containers be sure to use a well-drained soil mix (not peat or compost based, bark based soils do best) and water whenever the soil starts to dry out.

Japanese Maples do best when fertilized in the spring, we recommend a slow release pellet like Osmocote Plus in April. Don't apply fertilizer later than mid-June because it will encourage too much late season growth that will not have time to harden off enough for winter. The exact formula doesn't matter too much, we usually use 15-10-10 but any other works fine for Japanese Maples. Osmocote is the brand we use because it releases steadily for several months and so there is very little risk of over-fertilizing your plants.

By: Red Panda Nursery

Deciduous maple with stiff upright growth that forms into a dense large shrub or small tree. The tiny leaves are green with cream and pink variegation, the cream turning a bright magenta in fall.

By: Garden World

Acer palmatum 'Butterfly.' A variegated Japanese Maple. The blue-green leaves are edged in cream, and, in spring, partly in pink. The cream edges turn magenta in fall. Fun for all seasons.

By: Kigi Nursery

Strong white variegation in its foliage. Our clone has almost no reversion from variegated to green leaves. A small tree with delicate branches, it has unusual pink and red fall color.

By: Heritage Seedlings

Matsumurae Group ?variegated - This is the best known variegated Japanese Maple. White edge (with pink in spring) on bluish-green leaves. Growth habit is narrowly upright.

By: Fantastic Plants

A highly sought after variegated Dwarf Japanese Maple with reddish new growth that develops into green, pink, & cream variegated leaves. A dwarf among Dwarf Japanese Maples reaching only 8'H.

By: Almost Eden

Considered one of the finest. New leaves have pink borders. Edges turn magenta in fall. Beautiful with sunlight dancing through the branches. Hardy to -5 °F.

By: Bloom River Gardens

Variegated cream & green leaves with pink margins, fall color scarlet-magenta. Dense, twiggy growth habit. Zones 5-9.

By: Lael's Moon Garden

MATSUMURAE, variegated. An extremely choice and popular cultivar with a stiffly upright growth habit. Tiny, irregularly shaped leaves are bluish-green with cream markings, accented with pink. Vigorous, vase shaped with many twiggy branches. A very outstanding cultivar.