Acer palmatum
In Japan, admiring the maple’s blazing autumn foliage has a name of its own: momijigari, the “maple hunt,” a centuries-old tradition on a par with admiring cherry blossoms in spring. The Japanese maple, or palmate maple, owes its fame to foliage that spans the entire color palette, from soft green to deep purplish red.
Characteristics:
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Graceful silhouette: it can reach 15 meters when planted in the ground, but is equally well suited to being grown as a shrub or bonsai.
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Spectacular foliage: the palmate leaves, carried on long petioles, change from green to golden yellow and then purplish red as the seasons progress.
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Slow growth: patience is required, but its lifespan is measured in decades.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: partial shade is essential, protected from drying winds and the scorching afternoon sun, which scorches the foliage.
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Soil: cool, well-drained, rich in organic matter and, above all, slightly acidic to neutral — this is the decisive point. It declines in alkaline, chalky soil, where its foliage turns yellow (chlorosis). In chalky soil, grow it in a pot with a suitable substrate, such as ericaceous compost.
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Method: soak the samaras in lukewarm water for 24 to 48 hours, then apply cold stratification for 2 to 3 months: this two-step process mimics the natural alternation of the seasons and breaks seed dormancy. Then sow in a small pot, under cover.
Planting advice:
- Transplant the following spring into deeply worked soil, taking care not to bury the root collar. Apply a generous mulch to keep the shallow roots cool.
Care advice:
- Water regularly during the first few years, never allowing the soil to dry out completely.
- Prune minimally, only at the end of winter to remove dead wood: maple trees do not tolerate hard pruning well. For bonsai cultivation, see our guide creating a bonsai from a seed.
Benefits for biodiversity:
- The maple’s flowers, inconspicuous but early in spring, provide one of the season’s first sources of nectar and pollen for bees emerging from overwintering.
- Its dense canopy shelters nesting birds, while its leaf litter nourishes soil life — see the basics of living soil.
Symbolism:
In Japanese culture, the maple is associated with the passage of time and the impermanence of things (mono no aware): its autumnal splendor, as intense as it is brief, makes it a poetic symbol that features prominently in Japanese art and poetry.
Harvesting your own seeds:
Starting in autumn, collect the samaras from the tree as soon as they turn brown and detach easily. Note that maples readily cross-pollinate: seedlings may produce foliage that differs from the parent plant, which is part of the charm of growing them from seed. See storing your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Auvergne Volcanoes, we choose reproducible, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatments. Our belief: to give gardeners back the ability to sow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Purchase these Japanese maple seeds to add a touch of autumnal splendor, whether planted in the ground or grown as a bonsai.
