Japanese Maples as Fall Foliage Trees

Japanese maple trees are prized for their foliage throughout the growing season, including fall foliage season. Click on the picture to your right for a tree leaf identification for three types of Japanese maple trees (a photo gallery will open up, displaying additional pictures).

Japanese maple trees can be classified in various ways. I’ll focus on a couple of classification criteria: fall foliage color and leaf type. For while Japanese maples with red fall foliage are better known, some varieties have golden fall foliage. Meanwhile, particular Japanese maple tree varieties are prized for their lacy, or “dissected” leaf type. The taxonomy given for these Japanese maples will often include the term dissectum.

Fall Foliage of Red Japanese Maple Trees

Japanese red maple trees (Acer palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’ spp.) display red-colored leaves all summer that get brighter in fall, making them spectacular fall foliage specimen trees. Grown in zones 5-8, red Japanese maples reach a height of 30’ with a spread of 20’. Plant in full to partial sun and well-drained soil. In zones 7-8 these fall foliage trees can profit from the respite from the heat that they’ll get if planted in an area with partial sunlight. Many colorful cultivars available.

Fall Foliage of Japanese Bloodgood Maple Trees

The "Bloodgood" Japanese maple (Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood') is one of the most popular Japanese maple tree cultivars. This fall foliage standout can be grown in zones 5-8 and attains a maximum size of about 20' x 20'. It likes sun but can profit from a bit of light shade. Its leaves in summer are a reddish-purple. At fall foliage time those leaves become a striking crimson.

Fall Foliage of Japanese Crimson Queen Maple Trees

“Crimson Queen” Japanese maple trees (Acer palmatum dissectum 'Crimson Queen') can be grown in zones 5-8, reaching a height of 8’-10’ and spread of 10’-12’. This dwarf will grace any lawn with its pleasing weeping habit and dissected leaf type. As in the above examples, the dark red summer leaves of these trees mature to a crimson color for fall foliage.

Fall Foliage of Japanese Cutleaf Green Maple Trees

Cutleaf green Japanese maple trees (Acer palmatum dissectum 'Filigree') are even more compact than the preceding entry, reaching 4’-6’ in height, with a spread of 6’-9’. Also suitable for zones 5-8, they, too, bear dissected leaves. But what’s really different about these Japanese maple trees is their foliage. Their leaves are green in summer, turning golden in fall.

More on Trees With Colorful Fall Foliage

Fall Foliage of Ash Trees
Fall Foliage of Aspen Trees
Fall Foliage of Beech Trees
Fall Foliage of Birch Trees
Fall Foliage of Dogwood Trees
Fall Foliage of Other Maple Trees
Fall Foliage of Oak Trees
Fall Foliage of Shagbark Hickory Trees
Fall Foliage of Sumac Trees
Fall Foliage of Ginkgo Biloba Trees
Fall Foliage of Tulip Trees