Acer Palmatum Dissectum Garnet Japanese Maple Tree

Acer Palmatum Dissectum Garnet is one of the most popular varieties of Japanese Maple. It is a small, slow-growing deciduous tree forming a compact dome-shaped canopy. The deeply cut foliage is very delicate and feathery in appearance, giving the plant a fine filigree texture that works beautifully in both traditional and contemporary garden settings.

The foliage emerges as a rich purple-red in spring before gradually developing bronze tones throughout the summer. As autumn approaches, Acer Palmatum Dissectum Garnet produces a brilliant display of colour, with leaves turning vivid orange and red before falling. Because of its manageable size, this beautiful Acer Palmatum variety is ideal for smaller gardens, borders, patios, or container planting. Unusually for Japanese Maple Trees, Acer Dissectum Garnet can be grown in full sun.  Acer Palmatum Dissectum Garnet has been awarded the RHS Award of Garden Merit for its reliable performance and ornamental value in UK gardens.

Acer Dissectum Garnet belongs to the well-known Dissectum group of Japanese Maples, which are valued for their finely divided foliage and naturally cascading growth habit. Over time this cultivar develops the typical pendulous, spreading form associated with dissectum maples, eventually forming an elegant mound-shaped tree with gently arching branches.

As the tree matures the branches cascade downwards creating a graceful umbrella-like outline. This habit gives Acer Palmatum Dissectum Garnet a strong architectural presence while still maintaining a light, delicate appearance.

The foliage is one of the main attractions of Acer Dissectum Garnet. The leaves are deeply divided into narrow segments with seven distinct lobes, creating a finely feathered texture. In Spring, new leaves emerge deep jewel-like purple-red. In Summer, the foliage gradually develops bronze tones, sometimes with a greenish hue in shadier locations. The Autumn Colour is quite striking as foliage turns brilliant crimson, orange and red.  The leaf colour is often described as resembling the rich red-orange of the gemstone garnet, which is how this cultivar received its name. The leaves are relatively large for a dissectum maple and the rich colour tends to hold well into the summer months, particularly when grown in a sunny but sheltered location.

The Garnet cultivar originated in the Netherlands with Guldemond Nursery and has since become one of the most widely grown dissectum Japanese maples. Its popularity is largely due to the combination of vigorous growth for a dissectum, excellent foliage colour, and its naturally elegant cascading habit.

Height and Spread of Acer Garnet:
Japanese Maple Garnet is a slow growing tree but ultimately can reach 3–4 metres in height and spread when fully mature, although this takes many years. While Acer Garnet is slow growing, relative ot the Dissectum Family, it is actually quite vigorous and among the fastest growing of the Dissectum Acers.   

How Hardy is Acer Garnet?
Japanese Maple Garnet is fully hardy in the UK once established. Keep in mind that a sheltered position is beneficial to protect the finely cut foliage from strong winds.

Uses in Garden and Landscape:
Japanese Maple Garnet is widely used in Japanese garden design, where its graceful cascading habit complements stone, water features and carefully composed planting.It also works extremely well as a focal point in small gardens, a patio specimen in containers and / or a feature tree in borders.  Because of its relatively compact growth, it can be successfully grown even where space is limited.

Care Tips:
For best results grow Acer Dissectum Garnet in a moist but well-drained soil inneutral to acidic conditions in a humus-rich soil. Use an ericaceous compost if required.  The tree performs best in sun or light dappled shade, where the foliage colour develops strongly. In deeper shade the leaves may develop more green tones but still retain their delicate texture.

Specimen and Tree Forms Available: 
Acer Palmatum Garnet is available in several different forms depending on how the plant has been trained.
Bush Form - a naturally low-growing cascading shrub with branches that spread and mound outward, evenually maturing to a small tree. 
Standard / Half Standard Forms - plants are trained onto a clear stem, allowing the cascading foliage to form a dome-shaped canopy above the trunk.
Specimen Trees - larger specimen trees are occasionally available, grown on stems of around 1–1.5 metres with a broad umbrella-shaped canopy. These mature specimens are relatively rare due to the slow growth of this variety but make spectacular ornamental focal points.