Kasagi Yama Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum 'Kasagi Yama'
Height: 5 feet
Spread: 6 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 4b
Other Names: Kasagiyama Japanese Maple
Description:
A luminous variety, producing brick red new foliage that matures to bright coral red; spectacular orange-red in fall; a wide, spreading habit with great texture; an ideal garden accent tree
Ornamental Features
Kasagi Yama Japanese Maple is primarily valued in the landscape or garden for its ornamental upright and spreading habit of growth. It has attractive coral-pink deciduous foliage which emerges brick red in spring. The lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of orange and red in the fall. The rough gray bark adds an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Landscape Attributes
Kasagi Yama Japanese Maple is a dense deciduous tree with a strong central leader and an upright spreading habit of growth. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Kasagi Yama Japanese Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Mass Planting
- Rock/Alpine Gardens
- General Garden Use
- Container Planting
Planting & Growing
Kasagi Yama Japanese Maple will grow to be about 5 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 6 feet. It tends to be a little leggy, with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.
This tree does best in a location that gets morning sunlight but is shaded from the hot afternoon sun, although it will also grow in partial shade. Keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.
Kasagi Yama Japanese Maple is a fine choice for the yard, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. With its upright habit of growth, it is best suited for use as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the center of the pot, surrounded by smaller plants and those that spill over the edges. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.