Most named varieties of japanese maple are grafted to get a plant identical
to all others of that name. Acer palmatum 'Atropurpureum' is an exception
which comes relatively true from seed. Its leaves start out red in spring
and then turn varying shades of dark purplish-green during the summer. Red
colors are held best in full sun. Fall brings on usually vibrant colors
of a variety of hues from yellow to blackish purple as shown in this photo
of several seed-grown plants. Fairly fast growing to 20-30'. Full
sun will bring out the fullest colors, but the plants shown here only get
about 4 hours of miday sun. This maple is more economical and faster
growing than a grafted plant, and would be a good choice for planting a
grove. You could plant quite a group and then thin to preserve your
favorites as the plants begin to fill in the desired area. Zones: USDA 6;
Sunset 2-10, 12, 14-24, Alaska-3.
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