Japanese Maple trees are known for their stunning foliage. Each variety has distinguished foliage color and characteristics. One of them is the Emperor Japanese Maple, which is another cultivar of the Acer palmatum.
Very close to its relative Bloodgood, the Emperor Japanese Maple has an upright form, and wide canopy but a more compact size than other Japanese Maple varieties. Because Emperor Japanese leaves buds later than other Japanese maples, it has the advantage of adding landscape interest in a span of three seasons (Spring, Summer, and Fall).
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PLANT NAME: Acer palmatum ‘Wolff’
Other Name: Emperor Japanese Maple, Emperor One, Red Emperor
Plant Type: Deciduous tree
Native Areas: Japan
Light Requirement: Partial shade to Full sun
Watering: Moderate, fairly drought-tolerant
Fertilizer: Fertilize with a slow-released, balanced fertilizer in Spring
Toxicity: Non-toxic to pets and humans
Temperature: Cold hardy
Propagation: Seed, grafting
Growth: Fast
Soil Type: Well-drained, moist, slightly acidic to neutral soil
More About Emperor Japanese Maple Tree
Native to Japan, the Emperor Japanese Maple is a versatile variety that can withstand colder climates. It’s low-maintenance, fast-growing, and compact, making it a perfect accent in smaller landscapes filled with greeneries.
The foliage of Emperor Japanese Maple is highly attractive as it takes a rich burgundy hue during Spring to Summer months. As the leaves have a translucent sheen, they tend to shine from within when the sun hits. Come Fall and these deciduous leaves turn fiery red as they prepare to shed and reveal the black-red bark in Winter.
With its showy characteristics, the Emperor Japanese Maple tree will make an excellent accent tree, or as an addition to any beds and borders. Growing a maximum height of 15 to 25 feet when fully mature. This beautiful tree species is quite easy to manage.
Emperor Japanese Maple Care
acer palmatum wolff @fdrichards
Soil
Emperor Japanese Maple prefers well-drained soil that has a neutral to slightly acidic soil pH. Since it’s native to the forests, it loves soil that has a humus texture so be sure to amend it with plenty of organic materials.
Keeping the soil consistently moist will make the Japanese Maple tree happy. Add organic mulch at the base of the tree helps keep the soil moist and the roots cool.
Lighting
Emperor Japanese Maple trees will do well either in full sun or dappled shade. If you live in hotter climates where the light gets too intense, planting site that receives afternoon shade will be more favorable to prevent leaf scorch. But in cooler regions, full sun exposure will be better.
Avoid planting your Japanese Maple Emperor in a fully shaded place because it won’t thrive there. If you want to do it, make sure to remove any form of obstruction first.
Watering
When watering an Emperor Japanese Maple tree, the goal is to maintain moist soil but not to the point that it gets soggy. It requires a moderate amount of water to flourish. Make sure to water deeply, maintaining soil moisture around the root zone.
If there’s rainfall, you can skip watering. Although the Japanese Maple Emperor is fairly drought-tolerant, you shouldn’t let the soil dry completely for too long. Drought stress can stunt the whole tree.
Fertilizer
Apply slow-release, balanced fertilizer right after you plant the Emperor Japanese Maple tree. This will help boost the plant’s growth. As a form of maintenance, apply the same fertilizer in early Spring before the leaves bud.
Such fertilizer will help your maple tree flush leaves in the growing season.
Temperature and Humidity
The Emperor Japanese is suited in hardiness zone 5 to 8. It is heat tolerant and not susceptible to late spring frosts, too. So, this tree is pretty much adaptable to such conditions, making it a hardy species.
Propagation
If you intend to propagate the Emperor Japanese Maple tree, you can do so by grafting softwood cuttings. Grafting will require skill to be successful but the result is usually stunning because you can join two different varieties of maple trees.
Softwood cutting is a much simple process. You’re basically producing a clone of the mother tree. Here’s how:
Cut softwood stems from your Emperor Japanese Maple. It should be at least six inches long and with leaves intact. Make a sharp, slanted cut using a sanitized pruner.
Remove the lower leaves. Prepare a well-draining potting mix. Dip the end of the cuttings into a rooting hormone and plant it in the pot.
Water the potting deeply to make it moist. Cover the pot with clear plastic to conserve moisture and prevent the cutting from wilting.
Put the pot in a sunny location and mist the soil regularly. The cuttings should start producing new leaves in the next three to four weeks.
Pruning
Pruning isn’t very much required by the Emperor Japanese Maple tree. But if you want to remove dead or diseased twigs, do so when the plant is dormant (winter season). Use a disinfected pruner for cutting to prevent the chances of infecting the pruning wounds.
Don’t prune in early Spring because the sap will be running, making the whole process messy.
Potting
You can plant the Emperor Japanese Maple Trees in pots to maintain them in container sizes. Since Emperor Japanese maple is relatively a small tree, it will do well in pots. Just make sure that the size is proportional to that of your tree, and that it contains well-drained soil.
You can put the potted Japanese Maple Tree Emperor in your front yard along with other beautiful plants.
Popular Japanese Maple Varieties
Bloodgold Japanese Maple
The Bloodgold variety is pretty much the same as the Emperor Japanese maple. Its leaves boast a deep burgundy color during Spring and Summer, then turn into bright red once the cooler months set in in Autumn. The mature height ranges between 15 to 20 feet.
Red Dragon Japanese Maple
The foliage of Red Dragon is feathery and fern-like in shape. Unlike the Emperor Japanese maple tree, Red Dragon starts with a bright red color in Spring which later turns darker in the Summer months. The leaves, then, become scarlet in Autumn. Red Dragon reaches a mature height of 10 feet only.
Crimson Queen Japanese Maple
The Crimson Queen is almost the same size as the Red Dragon and is a pretty fall foliage tree because of its bright red leaves. The weeping habit and compact form make this variety a perfect choice for container planting.
Emperor Japanese Maple Common Diseases and Pests
Horse chestnut scale, aphids, and verticillium wilt are the pests and diseases that usually attack the Japanese Maple Tree Emperor. Make sure to check your tree regularly and inspect for any presence of pests and symptoms of the disease. Early detection will help resolve the problem.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you overwatered a Japanese Maple tree, it will show signs of leaf yellowing and premature drop. The leaves may also develop watersoaked portions. Overall, the plant will have stunted growth.
One sign of stress in Japanese Maple tree is if it doesn’t leaf out. Either one or more growing conditions aren’t favorable to the plant so you need to evaluate and make adjustments.
Japanese Maple will show signs of heat stress in temperatures beyond 90°F (32°C). Remember that its safe zones are between USDA zones 5 to 9.
Your Japanese maple tree is healthy if it looks vigorous overall. The leaves should be lush and colorful.
Although they’re from the same species, the Emperor and Bloodgood have key differences. Bloodgood grows relatively larger than the Emperor, reaching an average height of 20 feet. However, it’s Emperor Japanese Maple that grows faster.
The Emperor Japanese variety can also better withstand cold and drought conditions. It also has longer leaf retention as it springs out later than other Japanese maple varieties.
The Emperor Japanese Maple has a fast growth rate. It can grow a foot or two within a year until it reaches a mature height of 10 to 15 feet.
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