Acer Conspicuum Red Flamingo Snake Bark Maple

Acer Red Flamingo is a deciduous Maple with attractive variegated foliage and showy bark for year-round interest. It suits sheltered mixed borders. 

This unusual acer is a cultivar of Snake Bark Maple trees. Snake barks are hybrids created by crossing the well-established Acer Davidii with Acer Pensylvanium to create unusually marked leaves and bark. Red Flamingo’s full botanical name is Acer Conspicuum Red Flamingo for its striking variegated foliage which emerges mottled green and pink before maturing to dark green with white splash markings. Foliage appears each spring on bright red shoots and is followed by tiny yellowy-green flowers. Pollinators enjoy the nectar, but it’s the impressive foliage that makes this plant a show stopper. In autumn this maple’s leaves turn vivid shades of yellow, red and orange before falling to reveal brown and white snake-like striped bark.

Red Flamingo is one of the Conspicuum acers that brings year-round interest to the garden.  Conspicuum Mozart is another excellent cultivar with flushed green and red leaves and purple-white bark.

Height And Spread of Acer Red Flamingo
Snakebark Maple Red Flamingo is a slow-grower that can reach a maximum height and spread of 6 metres. It can be grown as a small branching tree or a shrub.

How Hardy Is Acer Red Flamingo
Red Flamingo is hardy in the UK down to freezing temperatures if its roots are well drained and it’s planted in a sheltered spot. It is usually pest free.

How To Use Acer Red Flamingo
Snakebark Maple Red Flamingo is a great choice for year-round interest. In winter the red stems rival dogwood varieties but without their vigorous growth.
Plant it in a mixed border with other foliage shrubs or a well-watered and fed container on a patio or balcony where you can admire its ornamental stems and striking foliage year-round.
Acers are attractive, unusual shrubs or trees with excellent autumnal colour. They equally suit cottage gardens and modern spaces to create a standout display during the year.

How To Care For Acer Red Flamingo
Acer Conspicuum Red Flamingo likes full sun to partial shade in well-drained soils. It’s a hardy shrub but does best in a sheltered spot to prevent wind damage to the foliage.
There is no need to prune this acer, but you can train it into a tree form by removing the lower branches. Trim back any crossed or damaged stems in winter and lightly prune to reduce the size if required.
Mulch well in spring and water well until established and during hot spells.