The Dawes Arboretum

Common name: Hana matoi threadleaf Japanese maple

Family: Aceraceae (maple family)

Distribution: Species native to e. Asia

Hardiness: USDA Zone 5

Life form: Deciduous tree

Comments: This rare and select form of Japanese maple grows to 3-4' tall, 4-6' wide after many years. The finely dissected leaves are variegated with pink, red and white. Sometimes the leaves emerge completely pink. In the summer most of the leaves age to a green with occasional striping and transform to a fire red in the fall. Protection from hot afternoon sun prolongs the stunning pink colors well into summer. The habit is a dwarf shrub and forms a weeping, mounding shape. A slow grower only reaching 2' tall x 3' wide in 10 years. It makes an amazing container plant or suited for planting in a smaller garden.