Acer palmatum 'Deshojo'Japanese maple
A cultivar known for one of the most intensely red spring flushes among Japanese maples. For a few weeks, the whole crown takes on a luminous scarlet; it then turns green and takes on warm colours again in autumn, creating three clearly distinct seasonal expressions.
- Spring flush of a particularly pure, luminous scarlet red
- Red colour concentrated in the young leaves, rather than permanent purple foliage
- Fine branching and a rounded crown that concentrate the colour effect
About this cultivar
‘Deshojo’ grows as an upright shrub or small, slow-growing tree, forming a compact and progressively rounded crown. It generally reaches 2 to 2.5 metres in height and spread, keeping a scale suited to small spaces.Read moreShow less
‘Deshojo’ grows as an upright shrub or small, slow-growing tree, forming a compact and progressively rounded crown. It generally reaches 2 to 2.5 metres in height and spread, keeping a scale suited to small spaces.
The main event comes in spring, when the new leaves open a vivid red and clothe the whole crown. As they mature, they pass gradually through pinkish and bronze tones until they turn green during the summer. In autumn, they return to reds and oranges before they fall.
The small, palmate leaves, divided into narrow lobes, reinforce the delicate texture of the crown. The fine branching and relatively short internodes make it possible to form a dense, balanced structure, qualities that also explain the historical use of this cultivar in bonsai training.
It prefers bright partial shade or gentle sun, fertile, moist, well-drained soil and a position sheltered from dry wind. In Portugal, protection from the intense afternoon sun helps to prolong the quality of the flush and prevents the transition from red to green from being too rapid.
It is suited to courtyards, entrances, Japanese gardens and places seen at close range. A dark green background intensifies the spring red. A mature specimen from Diaplant immediately brings a rounded crown with enough branching for the flush to appear as a continuous surface of colour, and not merely as small scattered touches.
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