Acer palmatum Taylor - Japanese Maple

The Acer palmatum 'Taylor' is a variety of Japanese maple with superb slightly curled foliage variegated with pink, giving it a very refined appearance, but also known for its delicate cultivation requirements, therefore best suited for experienced gardeners. Its leaves emerge in spring in light pink, before turning green with pink margins in summer. They then change to yellow and pink-red in autumn. The finely serrated, five-lobed leaves are thin, slightly curled, and quickly suffer from sunburn or wind desiccation. Therefore, this variety thrives exclusively in partial shade or dappled shade, in a sheltered location, and is prone to powdery mildew attacks.

The Acer palmatum is native to eastern China, Korea, and Japan. Like all maples, it belongs to the acerous family. This 'Taylor' cultivar forms a low, spreading bush with distinctive foliage. It is a small deciduous tree, hardy, with a rather slow growth rate. Its rounded to spreading crown, relatively sparse, is supported by flexible, thin, trailing branches. Eventually, it will reach about 2.5m to 3m in height with a similar spread, depending on growing conditions. Its foliage consists of palmate leaves, measuring 5 to 8 cm in length, deeply cut into 5 to 7 slightly curled lobes. The colour transitions from light pink in spring to green with pink margins in summer, then to yellow and pink-red in autumn before falling. The reddish flowers clustered in small bunches in April are insignificant, but the fruits with curved, red wings, 3 cm long, are interesting from September onwards.

The Acer palmatum 'Taylor' is ideal as a singular feature on a lawn or in heather soil beds alongside azaleas, pieris, rhododendrons, hydrangeas, and heathers. Due to its cultivation complexity, this variety is recommended for experienced collectors.