Cutleaf Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum var. dissectum

Aceraceae (Maple Family)

▲ younger, red-leaved form

▲▼ mature, red-leaved form

▲▼ mature, red-leaved form

▲▼ mature, red-leaved form

▲▼ green-leaved form

▲▼ green-leaved form

▲▼ green-leaved form

▲▼ green-leaved form

▲▼ green-leaved form

▲▼leaves

▲▼ leaves

▲▼ leaves

Location on Missouri State University campus:  on north side of Karls Hall (green-leaved form)

Acer palmatum 'Dissectum:'  Cutleaf Japanese Maple

·         leaves opposite, deciduous, simple, palmately 5-9-lobed; lobes very deep and serrate on margins; leaves 2-5" long and wide; species foliage color is dark green and glabrous above and below, but many cultivars have reddish leaves; may turn yellow, orange, red or purple in fall

·         stems slender, glabrous, green to red when young; gray with age

·         bark is light to dark gray and smooth

·         prefers partial shade, but can tolerate full sun (if sufficiently mulched) or deeper shade (if green color leaves); prefers moist, well-drained, high organic matter soil

·         generally grows 15-25' tall and possibly wider in open, tiered canopy; may grow 40-50' in wild and some ‘Dissectum’ cultivars may only reach 4-5' tall

·         slow to medium growth rate; faster when young

·         many cultivars/varieties exist: common ones in trade include:

   o   var. atropurpureum—  has reddish leaves and stems

   o   ‘Dissectum’ – has finely divided leaves almost to leaflets with more deeper serrations on lobes

    §  Usually grafted onto regular Japanese maple standard to form a weeping or spreading canopy

    §  More sensitive to drought and heat than some Japanese maple cultivars, often causing browning of leaf tips

·         Similar species

  §  Acer japonicum:  Full-Moon Maple

              ·         Has similar growth habit as Japanese maples, but more and more shallow lobes than Japanese maple

  §  Acer circinnatum:  Vine Maple

              ·         U.S. native to Pacific Northwest—similar to full-moon maple, but larger growing