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Photo by Conifer Kingdom

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Buy Acer palmatum 'Katsura'

Also Known As

Katsura Japanese Maple

Plant type

tree, shrub

size

H: 10'-15'
W: 10'-12'

planting zones

5a-9b

#1 Container | $59.99

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Fewer than 20 at Conifer Kingdom

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Acer palmatum 'Katsura' plant details

Acer palmatum 'Katsura' is a moderate-growing, slow-growing broadleaf deciduous shrub or tree with gold, green and red foliage. In spring red flowers emerge. Attracts beneficial insects and birds. Grows well with sun - mostly shade and even moisture - regular water. Does well in acidic, average, rich and well-drained soil. A good option if you're seeking something humidity tolerant.

CHARACTERISTICS OF Acer palmatum 'Katsura'

Plant type: shrub or tree
Plant family: sapindaceae
Foliage: deciduous gold, green and red
Mature size: 10 FT - 12 FT - wide, 10 FT - 15 FT - tall
Flowers: red blooms in spring
Uses: bonsai, container plant, fall color, woodland garden

GROWING CONDITIONS for Acer palmatum 'Katsura'

USDA Zones: 5a - 9b
Sun exposure: sun - mostly shade
Watering frequency: even moisture - regular
Resistant to: rabbit, humidity
Soil needs: acidic, average, rich and well-drained

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Nursery contributed plant descriptions

Small palmate leaves are yellow-orange with orange-red margins. By summer, the unique colors have faded and leaves are light green.

By: Conifer Kingdom

?Striking in its spring growth? (Vertrees), this somewhat variable plant has dense, twiggy branchlets with small 1+" leaves that open yellow-margined-in-orange and turn bright yellow-orange in fall; 2' dwarf (with pruning) to 15'. PSh/M

By: Forestfarm

Katsura Japanese Maple is one of the earliest maples to leaf out in the spring. The spring growth is striking! The small, deeply divided leaves emerge a brilliant yellow/orange edged in red before turning green for summer. Fall colors are bright yellow and orange. The leaves of Katsura Japanese Maple tend to turn downward giving it a distinctive appearance.

By: Maples N More Nursery

One of the first to leaf out in the spring with bright chartreuse to yellow leaves with orange margins. Matures to bright green in summer and returns to shades of orange and yellow in the fall.

By: Bloom River Gardens

Katsura is a show stopper with its spring foliage – bright orange and yellow makes this cultivar stand out from the others. Whereas many maples have pink to pink/red leaves in the spring Katsura is in a small group that shows orange and yellow or gold turning to yellow-green in the summer and then orange to scarlet red in the fall. The natural growth habit of this maple is a twiggy shrub so routine pruning is a good idea to keep it looking tight with a solid blanket of color. ‘Katsura’ may reach 7’ tall and 5’ wide in 10 years and is quite hardy. Once established it is hardy to -20 degrees, USDA zone 5. This is a wonderful maple and it deserves a place in any Japanese Garden. Photos courtesy of Talon Buchholz. Some pruning is necessary when a Katsura is small to form its structure for future growth.

By: Eastfork Nursery

Deciduous, upright, dense tree that begins in spring with yellow-orange foliage and brighter orange margins. Summer brings light green to yellow green coloration to the leaves, and fall shows off bright yellow and orange. Small leaves are deeply divided and have toothed margins. The name means 'wig'. Growth Rate slow

By: Garden World

'Katsura' is most striking in spring. It is one of the first to leaf out. Its small leaves emerge a brilliant yellow edged with red before turning green for the summer. Fall colors are bright yellow and orange. This leaves tend to curve slightly downward, giving this tree a distinctive appearance, as its name means "wig". 'Katsura' will grow to about 10 feet in ten years.

By: jensfarm maples

This Japanese Maple is quite striking in its spring growth, when leaves are a pale yellow-orange with margins shading into darker orange. This tree will hold this stunning spring display well into summer because of continuous summer growth. Fall will bring another awesome display of bright orange-gold! Also very nice for bonsai work.

By: Maplestone Ornamentals

Acer palmatum 'Katsura' - Japanese Maple One of the nicest trees for year-round color and good vigor. New growth is orange in spring, then becoming a golden yellow, then a rich green with lighter tones in summer, then a fine yellow with orange tones in fall.

By: Kigi Nursery

The distinctive color of this tree all summer long makes it desirable for any garden. Supposedly it can get 30', but my reasonably mature specimen is 15'. It is densely branched with thin twigs. Fall color is orange yellow. My tree seems to always have a halo; I think it is my favorite. zone 6

By: Whitman Farms

Limited Supply. We love this Japanese Maple. In our garden we've underplanted it with Spirea 'Magic Carpet' and both plants leaf out in the spring with this gorgeous coral apricot coloring. Summer foliage color is a amber-green followed by glorious golden orange tones in October and early November. 4-5' plants for spring shipping.

By: Avant Gardens

PALMATUM, green. In the spring, the leaves are light yellow-orange with deeper orange margins. In summer, the leaves become deeper green. A small leaved cultivar excellent for bonsai. Each leaf has 5 lobes which taper to long points. A tight, densely branched but upright growing tree.