Acer pseudosieboldianum Korean maple

Korean maple is a less common species in European cultivation, and as the name suggests its native habitat are the forests of Korea and North China. It is a sought-after plant among those who love Japanese maples but for some reason don’t succeed in growing them. Korean maple is a very similar looking large shrub or tree which is not prone to typical Japanese maples diseases and will grow in almost any soil without any maintenance.

Its deciduous leaves are 10-12 cm long, palmate, 9-11 lobed, yellow-green in spring with pale scarlet hues, light to rich green in summer, and brilliant red in autumn with some golden yellow and orange tones. In spring emerge numerous small purple red flowers followed by small winged fruit (samaras).

It grows medium fast to fast (30-50 cm per year) especially when young, initially forming an upright shrub or multi-stemmed tree, slowing down with age, opening its canopy into a broad vase shape. It can be trimmed to shapes or pruned to be kept smaller, best of which is done from late autumn to mid winter during frost-free periods in order to prevent from bleeding sap.

Korean maple loves full sun and will tolerate a little bit of partial shade. It does not require acid soil like Japanese maples but will produce better and deeper colours of autumn foliage if grown in acid soil. It should be fertile and evenly moist all year round so mulching is recommended. It dislikes drought and compacted ground. Extremely hardy to min. -34°C (USDA zone 4).

Last update 12-03-2017