To make a massive instruction in a small space , the Nipponese maple is one of the best alternative out there .

Dwarf type can fit into a moderately tiny smudge , but their impact in the garden is anything but small .

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A close up horizontal image of a dwarf Japanese maple growing by the side of a street in a formal rock garden.

Photo credit: JC Raulston Arboretum at NC State University.

You are n’t limited to weeping types , either .

There are upright growers and even one cultivar that you could train over arbor or espalier . You are limited , as they say , only by your imagination . Oh , and probably your budget , of line .

If your goal is togrow a Nipponese maple tree diagram in a pot , a dwarf option is idealistic . But even just a petty stain in the garden will be well - served by one of the following varieties :

A close up vertical image of a small potted Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) tree set on a decorative plant stand outdoors in a formal garden. To the center and bottom of the frame is green and white printed text.

17 Favorite Dwarf Japanese Maples

What is a dwarf Japanese maple ? There ’s no official limit , but we ’ll sting with those under 10 feet magniloquent once fledged in this roundup .

All of the tree on this tilt grow well inUSDA Hardiness Zones5 to 8 unless noted otherwise .

1. Crimson Queen

‘ Crimson Queen ’ seems to make everybody ’s “ best of ” listing and it ’s no wonderment – she ’s hard to beat .

The dramatically weeping , compact shape demand no pruning to observe .

‘ Crimson Queen ’ is a fairly slow grower , so you wo n’t have to push to keep her petite either . Once mature , after about 20 class , she ’ll be about 10 base all-encompassing and tall .

A horizontal image of a ‘Crimson Queen’ Japanese maple tree growing in the garden pictured in bright sunshine.

The cascading form of thisA. palmatumcultivar is jolly all on its own , but the flushed foliation is improbably striking .

The highly palm-shaped leaf are heavily serrate , making them look like thin strip of cerise lace .

‘ Crimson poove ’

A square image of the deep red foliage of Acer ‘Crimson Queen.'

To bring this royal wonder home , hail a two- to three - animal foot - marvelous treefrom Nature Hills Nursery .

ascertain more info about care for ‘ Crimson Queen ’ cultivars here .

2. Elizabeth

Noted Nipponese maple stock breeder Skeeter Rod discovered ‘ Elizabeth , ’ which he named for his wife , as a mutation . Thank goodness he did . ThisA. palmatumcultivar is an ever - develop stunner .

In the spring , the folio are shining red before changing to lime tree green and cherry-red in the summertime . By fall , ‘ Elizabeth ’ commute her outfit once again to a vibrant scarlet .

‘ Elizabeth ’

A close up of the deep red foliage of Acer palmatum ‘Elizabeth’ pictured in bright sunshine.

A truly compact , slow - growing , unsloped option , she grows to about five feet tall and three foot encompassing in about 10 years .

you could see plants in one- and three - gallon containersavailable from Maple Ridge Nursery .

3. Fireball

It can be a challenge to feel midget Japanese maple ( or any Japanese maple ) that thrive in Zone 4b , but ‘ bolide ’ seemingly creates its own heat .

It was chance upon as a witches’-broom , or a genetic mutation marked by unusual growth , on a tree in New Jersey .

If you ’re unfamiliar withJapanese maple types , witches’-brooms have a center lobe that is shorter than the circumvent lobe .

A close up of the deep red foliage of Acer ‘Fireball’ pictured on a soft focus background.

The bright red leaves on this industrial plant have five lobes with a shorter middle lobe . sluggish grow with an erect drug abuse , this cultivar will accomplish just five pes magniloquent and three ft wide in about 15 age .

‘ Fireball ’

To pick up this unique beauty , direct on over to Maple Ridge Nurseryto take from plants in one- and three - gallon containers .

A close up square image of a small Acer palmatum ‘Fireball’ growing in the garden surrounded by straw mulch.

4. Germaine’s Gyration

This tree lives up to its name with twisting , turning arm that almost resemble a deform filbert ( Corylus avellana‘Contorta ’ ) only with classic Japanese maple leaf .

At most , it will grow to seven feet tall and up to 12 feet wide , with a gracefully arching use .

‘ Germaine ’s revolution ’

A square image of a ‘Germaine’s Gyration’ Japanese maple, with bright green foliage growing in a formal garden by a pond.

In the springiness and summer , the leave are bright green trimmed in Burgundy wine . By fall , they change by reversal bright orange with hints of red and yellowed .

Gyrate your way toFast develop Treesto incur a dance partner of your own .

5. Inaba Shidare

A. palmatumvar.dissectum , ‘ Inaba Shidare ’ is striking . The foliage is bright , bluff red and each leaf is monolithic , with each one traverse six inches wide or more .

But the leaves do n’t just raise a solid mass of color . Each one is deeply lob and highly serrate , resemble monumental strips of red lacing . It ’s delicate and stunning , all at once .

A lovely tears cultivar , ‘ Inaba Shidare ’ spring up to about eight substructure tall and up to twice as wide . It ’s also jolly straightaway development , so you do n’t have to look long for the full show .

A close up horizontal image of the bright red foliage of Acer ‘Inaba Shidare’ pictured in bright sunshine.

‘ Inaba Shidare ’

Make this cultivar yours by grabbing one atMaple Ridge Nursery .

6. Jeddeloh Orange

The lacy , serrate leaves start the year with a pleasant orange tree hue before shift to green with orangish high spot in the summertime .

‘ Jeddeloh Orange ’

It changes color once again in the fall , transitioning to brilliant orange tree - gold .

A close up of the foliage of ‘Inaba Shidare’ Japanese maple pictured in light sunshine.

Nature Hills Nurserycarries this tree , which progress to eight pes tall and six foot wide at adulthood , so you may summate some orange delight to your yard .

7. Karasugawa

This Japanese maple cultivar , sometimes written as ‘ Karasu Gawa , ’ cast on an highly spectacular show for such a tiny specimen .

reach a height under eight feet when mature , the other spring foliage is pinkish but transitions to whitened during the spring .

Not every folio will become totally white , however . You ’ll see speckles and bar of white on a pinkish stem , depending on the sun exposure . Some farewell explicate fleeceable fleck as well .

A close up of the bright yellow and orange foliage of Acer ‘Jeddeloh Orange’ pictured on a soft focus background.

By the fall , the total leaf turns bright ruddy , sometimes with green border .

‘ Karasugawa ’

There are some drawback to be cognizant of with this Oregon - breed mantrap . It burn up in full sunlight and it only grow in Zones 5b to 8 , or perhaps in 9 with protection from the afternoon sunlight .

A square image of the green and purple foliage of ‘Karasugawa’ dwarf Japanese maple.

This means it ’s just a bit moody , but it ’s well worth the exploit for the telling show it puts on throughout three seasons .

Nab this uprightA. palmatumatNature Hills Nursery .

8. Orion

Providing a tears constellation of farewell , ‘ Hunter ’ grow just four feet tall and seven understructure full within about 15 year .

While the deeply lobate , to a great extent serrated leaves have a beautiful shape , it ’s the semblance that will have you seeing stars .

In the spring , this hunter ’s cloak is substantial , brilliant red .

A horizontal image of a small Acer ‘Orion’ specimen growing in a botanical garden pictured in light sunshine.

By summer , the foliage have cherry margins and orange and copper - gullible veins . Come spill , the tree diagram change again with the time of year , transition to solid , burnished orange .

‘ Hunter ’

you may find trees in one- and three - gal containersavailable at Maple Ridge Nursery , so you could add this one to your own tree configuration .

A close up square image of the foliage of Acer palmatum ‘Orion’ growing in the garden.

9. Red Filigree Lace

You ’d be intemperately - pressed to find a Japanese maple with more finely cut , delicate leaves .

Each leaf is heavily serrate and highly thin , like red threads dangling in the breeze on a tears tree diagram . Within about 15 days , this mixed bag get through four foot tall and five foundation wide .

Unlike some red maples , this one does n’t suffer its vibrant color in partial tone .

A horizontal image of Acer ‘Red Filigree Lace’ growing in the garden.

‘ Red Filigree Lace ’

ask a little lace in your life ? Grab a tree in a one- or three - gallon containerfrom Maple Ridge Nursery .

10. Rhode Island Red

‘ Bloodgood’is one of the most popular Japanese maples in North America , but it is n’t a dwarf Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree .

‘ Rhode Island Red , ’ however , takes all the things we love about ‘ Bloodgood ’ and smooshes it down into a perfectly concentrate size of it .

It leaf out in reddened Marxist before patch up into burgundy during the summer . And then it transition back to bright red in the drop .

A close up of the foliage of ‘Red Filigree Lace’ growing in the garden.

The Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree itself is about six feet tall with particularly big leaves .

While most dwarfA. palmatumcultivars have heavily serrate leaves , this one expect like a more traditional maple with its dewy-eyed palmate foliage .

‘ Rhode Island Red ’

A close up horizontal image of Acer ‘Rhode Island Red’ growing in the garden pictured in light sunshine.

If you love ‘ Bloodgood ’ but desire something a bit more petite , bring home a ‘ Rhode Island Red ’ from Japanese Maples and Evergreens , available for leverage via Amazon .

11. Ryusen

‘ Ryusen ’ is one of my darling of all the Japanese maple , dwarf or otherwise .

It ’s incredibly unequaled , and for a tree that is so classifiable that even many garden neophyte can identify it , that ’s suppose a net ton .

While the green palmate leaves are beautiful and all , it ’s the growth habit that makes it suffer out .

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ThisA. palmatumgrows to about eight feet tall but only spread a few feet wide , and the branches start by growing up for a bit before graciously arching down .

This create a falls upshot that is striking remaining to its own devices , but you could actually civilize it over an arbor or boast it as an espalier as well .

As if that was n’t enough , the foliage wrench a gentle reddish - orange tree in the fall , making it all the more lovely .

A vertical image of a small Acer ‘Ryusen’ growing in a pot in a small garden next to the patio.

‘ Ryusen ’

Make this distinctive alternative a part of your garden by nabbing one from Nipponese Maple and Evergreenson Amazon .

12. Skeeter’s Broom

Bred from a Wiccan ’s Calluna vulgaris found on the classic , ever - popularA. palmatum‘Bloodgood ’ by Skeeter Rod , ‘ Skeeter ’s Broom ’ has a narrow-minded , vertical outgrowth habit .

The leafage is extremely bushy and dense , and start out red in the spring before becoming majestic in the summer and changing to a bright red again in the twilight .

‘ Skeeter ’s Broom ’

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This cultivar tops out at a tiny six or so feet but it never expand more than three or four feet broad .

Want to sweep up this mantrap and bring it home to your garden ? mind toNature Hills Nurseryto grab a two- to three - foot Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree in a # 2 container .

13. Spring Delight

Some plants truly live up to their name , and ‘ Spring Delight ’ is one of them .

If you calculate forward to the joy of vibrant give people of color each year , you need to add thisA. palmatumvar.dissectumto your garden .

Once the warmer spring weather condition come to townspeople , the leaf bud heart-to-heart to reveal stunning neon unripened foliage tip in bright crimson . In the fall , the leaf transition to yellow and orange .

A square image of Acer ‘Skeeter’s broom’ growing in the garden.

‘ Spring Delight ’

The Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree itself has a graceful , weeping drug abuse that highlights the unequalled food colour .

you could find trees available in one- and three - gallon containersfrom Maple Ridge Nursery .

A horizontal image of an Acer ‘Spring Delight’ specimen growing in a botanical garden.

14. Summer Gold

Nipponese maples are known for shining bright in the spring and fall , and most varieties fade to a more subdued , if just as adorable , coloration in the heat of the summer .

These plants are happiest when it ’s chilly , after all . But ‘ Summer Gold ’ is at its bill when the days are prospicient .

In the spring , thisA. palmatumcultivar ’s leaves are green with a red border . By summer , they transition to a vivacious yellowish - atomic number 79 .

A close up of the deep green foliage of ‘Spring Delight’ Japanese maple growing in the garden.

That ’s limited enough as it is , but this tree does n’t burn or fleet in the heating system either – even if it ’s grow in full sun ! If you bonk these plants , then you eff that ’s rare for a golden leaf type .

In the crepuscle , the leave turn bright , flaming scarlet - orange tree on a tree that stays under eight feet tall , usually tightlipped to six .

‘ Summer Au ’

A close up of the foliage of Acer ‘Summer Gold’ pictured on a soft focus background.

Oh yeah , and did we mention this is an upright type ? That ’s voiceless to retrieve in midget cultivars !

cull up a treeat Maple Ridge Nursery . Choose from one- or three - gallon container .

15. Tamukeyama

Good old ‘ Tamukeyama ’ is exceedingly popular , and deservedly so . It ’s heat tolerant , vigorous , and audacious .

During the give and summer , the leave are burgundy before shifting to bright ruby in the spill . It ’s a weeping type that continue under eight foot tall . No wonder it has been a mainstay for 100 !

‘ Tamukeyama ’

A close up of a ‘Summer Gold’ Japanese maple tree growing in a container.

If you want to join the historied club , purchase one for your gardenat Fast Growing Trees . They persuade two- to three- or three- to four - fundament - improbable trees .

16. Viridis

‘ Viridis ’ is the cultivar that first made me take card of Japanese maple .

It ’s a sincerely head - turning choice that features a cascade down form which tops out at about five feet tall and wide-eyed , with burnished chartreuse leaves .

In the dip , the heavily serrate palmate leaf turn prosperous - yellow and orangish .

A square image of a dwarf Acer ‘Tamukeyama’ growing in a garden border with a residence in the background.

If you wish the type that have leaf so fine serrated and palmate that they look like lace , you utterly ca n’t go wrong with ‘ Viridis . ’

The foliage are so delicate , they almost await out of centering or like run green water at first glance . perfectly magical .

‘ Viridis ’

A close up horizontal image of the foliage of Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Viridis’ growing in the garden.

If you want to nab a practically ripe three- to four - foot - tall tree diagram to plant in a pot or produce in your garden , visit Fast Growing Trees .

17. Waterfall

‘ Waterfall ’ has been experience to grow up to 12 feet tall after a farseeing , long time . But at 10 old age , most have reached just five feet at most .

Its growth habit lives up to the name , and It has a pendulous , weeping conformation made up of large green leaves that turn orange in the fall .

If you ’re appear for a well container option , this one ca n’t be beaten . retain ‘ Waterfall ’ in a container will also constrict its sizing .

A square image of a dwarf ‘Viridis’ Japanese maple tree growing in a formal rock garden.

‘ Waterfall ’

If all this has you expect around for the nearest position to nab one for yourself , head to Fast grow Treesto pick up a two- to three - foot - tall tree .

Small Doesn’t Have to Mean Low-Impact

Dwarf Nipponese maple are little in stature but huge in encroachment . It ’s hard to suppose of many plants that pack so much into such a small-scale package .

Whether youpair them with other speciesor permit them shine all on their own , these petite wonders will draw all the attention .

So what do you think ? Are you leaning towards a laceleaf ? Do you prefer cerise or unripened ? Are you looking for something unsloped or weeping ? partake your plans in the remark plane section below .

A close up of the vibrant orange foliage of ‘Waterfall’ Japanese maple.

Then , continue your Japanese maple journeywith the keep an eye on guide :

© demand the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more detail . intersection photos via FastGrowingTrees.com , Nipponese Maples and Evergreens , Maple Ridge Nursery , and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited picture : Shutterstock .

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Kristine Lofgren