Japanese Maple, Palmate maple
Acer palmatum

Family: Sapindaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

There are about 120-150 Acer species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. A plant native to China, Japan, and Korea. It requires a well drained soil. It needs fertile soil and an open sunny position. It is drought and frost resistant. It can stand frosts to about -25°C when young shoots are not present. It grows in forests between 200-1200 m altitude in China. Temperate. It suits hardiness zones 6-9. Mt Lofty Botanical Gardens. Burnie Rhodo gardens. Arboretum Tasmania.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, Australia, Britain, Canada, China, Europe, Japan, Korea, North America, Sikkim, Slovenia, Tasmania

How it is used for food

The sugary sap can be eaten. It is normally collected on a sunny day following a freezing night. The leaves are eaten with oil and salt.

Edible parts

Sap, leaves

How it is grown

It can be grown from seed or cuttings. Seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours then kept cold at 0-8°C for 2-4 months to assist them to grow. Seed can be sown fresh if green seeds are used.

They are slow growing.

Its other names

Local names

Fowl's claw maple, Greenleaf Japanese maple, Jizhua Qi, Kapasay, Pahljačasti javor

Synonyms

Acer polymorphum (Siebold. & Zucc.);