Acer palmatum 'Sangokaku'Japanese maple

‘Sangokaku’ forms a large shrub or small tree of upright growth, whose crown, narrow at first, becomes progressively broader and oval. It usually reaches 4 to 6 metres in height and 2.5 to 4 metres in spread, and can attain larger dimensions in old specimens.

The young branches are the feature that truly sets this cultivar apart. After leaf fall, the wood takes on a luminous coral-red tone, particularly intense on the most recent growth. The fine branching is fully visible during the winter, creating contrast with conifers, dark green hedges, pale walls or frost-covered surfaces. This feature places it in the Red Wood Group of the Maple Society classification.

In spring, the five-lobed leaves open in yellowish-green tones, often edged with pink or red. They turn light green during the summer and change to golden yellow, sometimes with orange glints, before falling and revealing the coral structure of the branches once more.

It prefers a sheltered spot, in gentle sun or partial shade, with fertile, moist, well-drained soil. Winter light helps to bring out the colour of the wood, while a good supply of water during the growing season favours the formation of the new branches that will produce the coral effect.

It is suited to Japanese gardens, courtyards, entrances, path edges and compositions designed to hold interest in winter. A mature specimen from Diaplant immediately brings a branched architecture capable of structuring the space all year round, together with a significant quantity of coloured young wood that makes the winter effect visible from planting.