Shirazz Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum ‘Gwen’s Rose Delight’ – Shirazz

Plant Details

USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-8b Find Your Zone

Height at Maturity: 10-15′

Width at Maturity: 10-15′

Growth Habit / Form: Upright, Pendulous

Growth Rate: Moderate

Foliage Color in Spring: Deep Burgundy-Red and Pink

Foliage Color in Summer: Green and White with Purple and Pink

Foliage Color in Fall: Scarlet Red

Light Needs: Full Sun or Mostly Sun, Morning Sun with Dappled or Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun, Morning Shade with Evening Sun, Mostly Shade

Water Needs: Average, moderately drought tolerant when established

Soil Type: Clay (amended) Sandy, Loam

Drainage: Moist but Well-drained, well drained soil is a must!

Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 is ideal

Maintenance: Low

Resistances: Deer, Insect, Disease, Sun Tolerant

Description

With a kaleidoscope of bold and beautiful color throughout the seasons, and a fine texture that sets it apart from other landscape plants, the Shirazz Japanese Maple is a favorite that always gets attention in our gardens. The striking feature is the ever changing colors, with each tree seeming to have its own particular variegation, which depends upon the amount of sunlight exposure. In our gardens, where the tree is located so that it receives morning sun with filtered sun during the afternoon hours, the leaves emerge a rich burgundy-red to purple with splashes of vibrant pink. The leaves then gradually turn green with white, pink and purple highlights by summer. Fall brings blazing color with brilliant scarlet red and touches of orange and yellow. In general, we’ve heard that more sun and heat during the summer months results in a dark maroon color for new leaves while the existing leaves turn various shades of green with white edging and pink highlights. In more shade the new leaves emerge with lavender highlights. With a shapely upright form and gracefully arching branches, you can expect 10 to 15 feet height and width at maturity.

Landscape & Garden Uses

To showcase its magnificence and beauty, the Shirazz Japanese Maple is best used in the landscape as a focal point specimen to draw attention to a specific area of the home or landscape. That being said, you can plant in groupings of three or plant one on opposite sides to accentuate an entryway.

Suggested Spacing: At least 18 feet apart for space between trees

Container culture can extend the useful range of Japanese Maples. They are extremely easy to grow in containers, a practice taken to its most extreme form in the art of bonsai.

Note: One Japanese Maple can make a landscape…that is if you don’t overcrowd it with other trees and plants. Therefore, when selecting companions to plant under or around your Japanese Maple, make sure to select low-growing shrubs or groundcover plants that won’t interfere at all with your tree.

Note: For our customers who live and garden north of USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a, where this Japanese Maple cultivar is not reliably winter hardy, you’ll be happy to know it can be grown in containers that can be brought indoors during winter and placed back outside when temperatures warm up in spring.

Growing Preferences

Though delicate looking, Japanese Maples are actually very tough and long-lived trees. They are very easy to grow in the ground or in pots, planters and other containers.

In their natural habitat, Japanese Maples are understory trees, growing in dappled forest sunlight at the edges of woodlands. Ideally they prefer to be grown in similar conditions. That said, you can find a complete listing of our sun-tolerant Japanese Maple varieties here, of which Shirazz is one. That said, we suggest some shade or filtered sun during the hotter afternoon hours.

Most any average garden soil will grow Japanese Maples. They prefer a moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter. As with so many other ornamental plants and trees, constantly soggy or wet soil can be problematic. So make sure to plant your Japanese Maple in a well-drained site!

Helpful Articles

Click on a link below to find helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Japanese Maple trees.

How To Plant A Japanese Maple Tree In The Ground

How to Plant A Japanese Maple Tree In A Pot

How To Fertilize And Water A Japanese Maple Tree

How To Prune A Japanese Maple

Plant Long & Prosper!

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