Beautiful five-to-nine-lobed leaves emerge early. The plant grows 3 feet in height with a 5 foot spread in 10 years. Use the Japanese maple as a specimen plant. May and June bring small reddish-purple flowers. The samaras, or winged fruits, mature in fall and turn a rich red. Fall color is outstanding, ranging from yellow to red to purple. This lovely small tree, native to the Far East, can be grown only in very protected areas if you live in Zone 5. It is an exceptional small ornamental maple.

This maple needs full sun to partial shade and moderate moisture conditions to flourish. As its name imples, the leaves are deeply dissected. They emerge dark red, maturing to purple in the summer and changing to crimson in the fall.