Acer palmatum atropurpureum 
Native of Japan. 
Nat. Order: SaPInDACEA. Tribe: ACERINE. 
Acer palmatum, Thunberg, “Fl. Jap.” 162 (1784); Loudon, “Arb. et 
Frut. Brit.” i. 422 (1838) ; 4. polymorphum, Siebald and 
Zuccarini in “ Abhand. Acad. Muench.” iv. 
sec. 2, 158 (1845). 
Any one who has seen the Canadian woods in the fall of the 
year when the maples are first touched with the frost knows 
how glorious colour can be, but I have never seen even there 
anything finer than this Japanese maple when it turns scarlet 
a week or two before the leaf falls off. In the early Spring the 
foliage is blood red, and as the sun increases in power it 
changes toa dark purplish-green where the rays strike. It 
is quite hardy. Considering its wonderfully fine colour and 
its hardiness I cannot understand how it is that one hardly 
ever sees it grown even in the best gardens. At Kew there 
are but very few plants of it, and I am told it does not thrive 
there. It will not strike from cuttings, therefore it is easiest 
to propagate it by layering. For culture it requires to have 
the long shoots shortened at the end of January to induce a 
dense habit of growth. The soil we find best is loam, with 
a little spent mushroom manure and leaf soil added to it. 
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