Acer palmatum 'Ariadne' - Ariadne Japanese Maple

A stunning, semi-dwarf selection that features bright, copper-orange-pink spring foliage that turns burgundy in summer; fall color is bright orange-pink; compact and slow growing, with a graceful, arching habit; perfect for the garden or small landscapes

Height: 10 feet. Spread: 12 feet. Sun: full sun to partial shade. Hardiness zone: 5b.

Ornamental features

Ariadne Japanese Maple is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its cascading habit of growth. It features subtle corymbs of red flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring before the leaves. It has attractive burgundy foliage with red veins and tinges of pink which emerges coppery-bronze in spring. The lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of orange and pink in the fall. The rough gray bark and dark red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.

Landscape

Ariadne Japanese Maple is an open multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, 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.

Recommended for: Accent, Mass Planting, Hedges/Screening, General Garden Use, Container Planting.

Planting and growing

Ariadne Japanese Maple will grow to be about 10 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 12 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. 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.

Photo courtesy of NetPS Plant Finder.