Japanese maple ‘Atropurpureum’

Sapindaceae / Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ – Japanese maple, palmate maple

Japanese maples, also known as palmate maples, are renowned for their immense variation in leaf shapes and colors. These small trees thrive in the temperate regions of East Asia.

This specific cultivated variety of Japanese maple features deep purple leaves; ‘atro’ meaning deeply/darkly colored, and ‘purpureum’ signifies purple. It is an immensely popular garden tree planted across temperate climate zones worldwide.

Although slow-growing, it eventually develops into a wide, multi-trunked tree with a beautiful canopy. Like most temperate climate trees, this maple sheds its leaves before winter, revealing branches that meander and split like a complex river delta. The red twigs and aging grey-green bark further enhance its visual appeal.

Similar to all maples, Japanese maples produce winged samara fruit, which also exhibit a purple hue on this tree.