Acer maximowiczianum
Common Name(s):
Previously known as:
- Acer nikoense
- Phonetic Spelling
- AY-ser maks-im-oh-wiks-ee-AY-num
- Description
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The Nikko maple has smooth, gray bark and is a deciduous shade tree of the Sapindaceae (soapberry) family. It is native to China and Japan and the leaves are distinct among maples for consisting of three separate leaflets. The genus Acer means maple in Latin and the species name maximowiczianum honors Carl Johann Maximowicz a botanist who discovered the tree growing in Japan in the 1860s. The common name Nikko comes from a town in Japan.
It has a picturesque, vase-shaped, round-topped form and reaches height and width of 20 to 30 feet. The vibrant red-orange fall color is why it is primarily grown. Unlike other maples, this plant does not have a traditional maple leaf. Each of its leaves are divided into three leaves.
The Nikko maple grows best in sites with full sun and moist, well-drained soil. It is particularly resistant to insect pests and very easy to transplant.
This tree supports pollinators like moths making it an excellent addition to a nighttime garden, a pollinator garden, or a specimen tree. Take advantage of the sticking fall color and vase shape to provide interest in the landscape in the fall and winter.
Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems.
- See this plant in the following landscape:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
- Cultivars / Varieties:
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- Tags:
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Attributes:
- Genus:
- Acer
- Species:
- maximowiczianum
- Family:
- Sapindaceae
- Life Cycle:
- Woody
- Country Or Region Of Origin:
- China/Japan
- Wildlife Value:
- Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
- Play Value:
- Attracts Pollinators
- Pieces Used in Games
- Shade
- Wildlife Food Source
- Wind Shimmer
- Dimensions:
- Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
- Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
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Whole Plant Traits:
- Plant Type:
- Tree
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Habit/Form:
- Rounded
- Vase
- Growth Rate:
- Slow
- Texture:
- Medium
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Cultural Conditions:
- Light:
- Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
- Soil Texture:
- Loam (Silt)
- Soil pH:
- Acid (<6.0)
- Soil Drainage:
- Good Drainage
- Moist
- Available Space To Plant:
- 24-60 feet
- USDA Plant Hardiness Zone:
- 5b, 5a, 6b, 6a, 7b, 7a
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Fruit:
- Fruit Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Green
- Display/Harvest Time:
- Fall
- Fruit Type:
- Samara
- Fruit Length:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Width:
- 1-3 inches
- Fruit Description:
- 1 to 2 in. thick pubescent fruit
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Flowers:
- Flower Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Flower Inflorescence:
- Panicle
- Flower Bloom Time:
- Spring
- Flower Size:
- < 1 inch
- Flower Description:
- .5 in. yellow flowers in clusters of 3 on a drooping panicle. Blooms in May.
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Leaves:
- Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics:
- Deciduous
- Leaf Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Green
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Deciduous Leaf Fall Color:
- Gold/Yellow
- Purple/Lavender
- Red/Burgundy
- Leaf Type:
- Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
- Leaf Arrangement:
- Opposite
- Leaf Shape:
- Elliptical
- Oblong
- Ovate
- Hairs Present:
- No
- Leaf Length:
- 3-6 inches
- Leaf Description:
- Leaves are 2 to 5 in., opposite, and compound trifoliate. In the fall, they are rich red, yellow-red, and purple. Leaf colors may include green and light green.
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Bark:
- Bark Color:
- Dark Brown
- Dark Gray
- Light Brown
- Light Gray
- Surface/Attachment:
- Smooth
- Bark Description:
- Bark is a smooth gray to grayish brown
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Stem:
- Stem Color:
- Brown/Copper
- Stem Is Aromatic:
- No
- Stem Buds:
- Hairy tips
- Stem Cross Section:
- Angular
- Stem Surface:
- Smooth (glabrous)
- Stem Description:
- Slender, angled brownish prominently lenticelled with pilose pubescence near the end of stem. Glabrous the 2nd year.
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Landscape:
- Landscape Location:
- Recreational Play Area
- Landscape Theme:
- Butterfly Garden
- Children's Garden
- Nighttime Garden
- Pollinator Garden
- Design Feature:
- Shade Tree
- Attracts:
- Butterflies
- Moths
- Pollinators
- Songbirds
- Resistance To Challenges:
- Insect Pests
