Acer palmatum 'Higasayama' - Higasa Yama Japanese Maple

This interesting variety features striking green leaves with wide creamy variegation and rose edges which emerge pinkish in spring; habit is upright to almost columnar making it quite unique among most Japanese maples, an ideal accent for the landscape

Height: 15 feet. Spread: 15 feet. Sun: full sun to partial shade. Hardiness zone: 6a.

Ornamental features

Higasa Yama Japanese Maple is primarily valued in the landscape for its rigidly columnar form. It has attractive green foliage edged in creamy white with hints of rose which emerges rose in spring. The small lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of gold and red in the fall.

Landscape

Higasa Yama Japanese Maple is a dense deciduous tree with a narrowly upright and columnar growth habit. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.

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.

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

Planting and growing

Higasa Yama Japanese Maple will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 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 slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This tree 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.