Plant Finder

Description:

The ideal substitute for the coveted Japanese maples where they are not hardy, with similar fingered leaves, attractive layered growth habit and dazzling fall colors of orange to orange-red; does best in cool, moist conditions; an impressive accent tree

Ornamental Features

Northern Spotlight® Korean Maple is primarily valued in the landscape for its ornamental globe-shaped form. It features subtle clusters of creamy white flowers with purple bracts rising above the foliage in early spring before the leaves. It has attractive forest green deciduous foliage which emerges red in spring. The palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn an outstanding scarlet in the fall. The rough gray bark and brick red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape Attributes

Northern Spotlight® Korean Maple is an open multi-stemmed deciduous tree with a more or less rounded form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Northern Spotlight® Korean Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Northern Spotlight® Korean Maple will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 2 feet from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 70 years or more.

This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.