NOS
ACER PALMATUM
DWARF GREEN-LEAVED
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NOTE: Clones with summer red foliage and dwarfness are found in the Palmatum - Red-Leaved file and Cutleaved variants which are often dwarf are found in the Dissectum Group file. Most of the cultivars here have reddish or pinkish new growth though some are yellowish or pale green at first.

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'Aoba Jo' - a stronger dwarf than most with notably large leaves up to 8-10cm or so, orange-lime new growth, develops with bronzed margins at times. Vertrees notes it is sensitive to overfertilization and that will produce long, ungainly shoots.

'Beni Hime' - which sometimes glassed with the "reds", this one has red new growth and lots of green color in summer. It is one of the smaller clones in this growth. It is not common due to propagation problems.

'Beni Hoshi' - 1-2m, very compact, 5-7cm blades, notable for red new growth which develops into green. Yellow to orange fall color is a plus too. Despite the Japanese name it comes from Del Loucks of Oregon c. 1992.

'Berry Broom' - dense plant from a witches broom of a species typical plant. From Raraflora of NSW, Australia

'Berry Dwarf' - low spreading dwarf, 1m tall x 3m wide, light green new growth becomes bronze-green to olive green. Leaves are largish at 6-8cm long. This is not too slow and makes a good size plant in a reasonable amount of time. That makes it a favorite. From Raraflora of Australia.

'Caperci Dwarf' - a lovely plant defined leader, horizontal form, height of 1.5 or so, 5-7 lobes on 3-5cm blades. Notable for bright coral pink new growth that matures green. Gold fall color can be nice. From Jim Caperci of Seattle, WA USA.

'Coonara Pygmy' - almost the standard by which other green dwarves are being judged. Good subglobose, 1.5m form, a good balance of vigor and neatness, fast enough for good nursery production but not becoming out of hand. Leaves can be variable in size from 2-5cm and it is best with moderate fertilization. Yellow to pink and red shades in fall can be nice. It has large dentate teeth for a nice look also. From Arnold Teese, Yamina Rare Plants of Victoria, Australia about 1965. It has had time to get into the worldwide trade although some others may have better fall color. Some climates find this clone to be short-lived, prone to dieback, and not as tough as other cultivars in their maple collection. It may deserve a special spot to keep it going.

'Coral Pink' ('Spring Fire', 'Carmineum') - a co-production of the deBelders and VanGelderens wtih bright pink and light green new growth (margins more pink), somewhat mottled and marbled atr times. 5-7 lobes of 3.5-6.0cm are medium sized. It will burn so give it some shade and wind protection.

'Crippsii' - very narrow, half folded gren leaves on a plant to 2.5m. Introduced by Hilliersin 1928 and not always easy to grow.

'Daniel' - dense broom notable for short central lobes and yellow fall color. Seeds well so it can be used in breeding. From a witches broom on 100 year tree found b Billy Schwatz, PA USA.

'Eagle's Claw' - odd crinkled, very narrow lobes from a witches broom. It makes a distinct bonsai. Gold fall color can be very nice.

'Eimini' - neat dwarf, 1-2m tall and wide, leaves only 1.0-2.5 cm long, showy red petiole. Introduced by Otto Eisenhut c. 1985.

'Garyu' ('Garyh') - spreading dwarf under 1m in many years, refined tiny leaves of 2-4cm but some become 5-9cm! It is notable for having mainly 3 widely spaced lobes, each with a dark red margin and coarse teeth. It is very distinct when well grown. Propagation is not easy on this beauty.

'Globosum' - subglobose to 1.5m as the name implies, largish leaves of 6-8cm, blades a bright green with bold teeth. Fall color can be a nice yellow.

'Gossamer' (Dissectum Group x A. japonicum) - interspecific hybrid with nicely incised leaves but some qualities of the other species. It is very slow and have proven nice in rock gardens.

'Groundcover' - Dense, slow spreading of 60cm tall x 1.2m wide, leaves very small at 3-5cm, coarse teeth, medium green with some red to bronze margins. It is not prostrate as the name may imply to some folks.

'Hamano Maru' - Japanese witches broom with tiny 2.5cm leaves, margins pinkish to red, midrib yellow tinged

'Hanami Nishiki' - very minuute 2cm leaves, each margins red to half the surface, it is not a bold variegate as word "nishiki" often implies - it is mottled red in fact with only subtle light variegations on old leaves - these are not always seen! It is hard to propagate and not widely seen.

'Hime Yatsubusa' - bonsai favorite with 5 tiny lobes, new growth red and yellowish shades, later tips in bronze

'Hupp's Dwarf' - an American favorite from Barbara Hupp of Silverton, OR. It is notable for being more compact than 'Tsukomo' yet more vigorous, making a saleable plant with ease. The 5 narrow lobes are dark green, only 2-4cm long, strongly toothed. It stays under 50cm in 10 years. Twigs can be brittle.

'Ikeda Yatsubusa' - similar to 'Sharp's Pygmy' overall but not of US origin.

'Iso Chidori' - 5 wide lobes of rich green color, 4-6cm dimensions, leaves often thickish, twisted and very 3-dimensional for a pleasant appearance. It reaches 2m.

'Issai NIshiki' - A bonsai favorite for it's thick, textured bark, much like a dwarf 'Nishiki Gawa' with similar 5-7 lobes.

'Kaba' - tiny, strap-like leaves with reddish margins, crinkled and irregularly toothed margins.

'Kamagata' - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. June 19, 2005. By this late in the season, all the red pigments are gone in the hot NC climate. Still the narrow, toothy leaf appeals. This plant is about 6 feet tall

'Kamagata' - another Top 10 Green-leaved Dwarf, beloved for it's narrow, slightly folded lobes with distinct dark red margins on a light green base, 4-6cm wide but some plants much smaller in leaf until established. The largish, widely spaced sharp teeth make it special too. Autumn colors can be wonderful gold to orange shades. It stays subglobose, dense to 1m after many years. It is a Vertrees selection and he was notoriously fussy about what he wanted to introduce. There are few narrow-lobed dwarf clones in red and green that are as charming and elegant.

'Kashima' ('Chiba') - click image
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Summer 2004.

'Kashima' ('Chiba') - bonsai favorite notable for larger central lobe, 2-3.5cm blades, new growth with about half red margins and light green centers, later lime green tinged red. It will reach 3-4m tall and wide so it is more semi-dwarf to compact overall. It is often kept slow for bonsai or container culture so it is often classed in this section. There is some doubt about there being a smaller clone of it. One called 'Dwarf Shishi' is similar to a smaller version of this but Vertrees puts that name under 'Shishi Yatsubusa'.

'Kiyohime' ('Kiyo Hime') - click image
Asian Valley, US National Arboretum. June 2005.

'Kiyohime' ('Kiyo Hime') - very distinct dwarf with 3-4cm leaves of very wide, rhombic lobes, each tinged dark red and glossy on the margins. It is strong at 2m in 10 years but can be kept smaller in containers or as a bonsai subject. It is strong enough for landscaping and stays dense, globose.

'Komachi Hime' - very slow dwarf with reddish margins. It resembles 'Kiyohime' which is much better known.

'Kotohime' - popular dwarf with leaves of 1.5-3cm, pink to orange new growth, later all green. It remains dense for years, can be made erect but we often see it trained to a low spreading mound. It branches nicely so it can be trained many ways. New spring growth can be tufted along the stems and these colorful bits of foliage can be very charming.

'Koto Ito Komachi' - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. June 19, 2005. A pretty thread-leaf dwarf that makes it tree-sized in time. It is slow due to the limited
photosynthetic surface. The pinkish petioles are showy at close range.

'Koto Ito Komachi' - really more of a Linearilobum Group semi-dwarf with lobes 2-4mm wide, some even narrower as mere threads. Very lovely plant and quite distinct. It reminds one of the threadleaf type Nandinas as young plants.

'Koto Maru' - rather wide, 5 lobes of 2.5-4.0cm, margined bronze becoming medium to dark green, 1.5m tall x 2m wide. Some report it a pale lime green. It can be difficult and cases of sudden dieback are not uncommon.

'Koya San' - 5-7 small lobes with nice reddish-bronze new growth, later a bronze sheen and glossy finish. From Dick van der Maat of Boskoop.

'Kurenai' - pink new growth becomes green. It resembles 'Wilson's Pink Dwarf' and is much more rare.

'Kurui Jishi' - unusual dwarf with congested growth but highly folded lobes, showing the greyish-green underside and giving a unique color. It is even more extreme than 'Naruto' trident maple in the folding. It can be strong, erect to 2m. 'Crippsii' is similar but of different origin and lower vigor.

'Kyoryu' - very slow dwarf, bronzish new growth, later all green, yellowish fall color. Notable for some fasciated stems.

'Little Princess' - colorful dwarf much like 'Mai-no-machi Hime' and by some accounts the same clone. From Jim Russell, England. There may be two distinct clones under these names but the trade appears to have them mixed up.

'Lockington Gem' - very dwarf, very slow, minute 1.5cm leaves, stays 1/3 size of 'Coonara Pygmy' so it is a "super pygmy". From Donald Dosser, Australia before 1992.

'Mapi-no-machi Hime' - light yellowish-green blades have pink to orange marginsd at first, later more green edged bronze, 3-5cm wide, elongated apices. Good sized subglobose plant to 2m.

'Matthew' - similar to 'Coonara Pygmy' but yellow to orange fall color. Witches broom from Billy Schwartz.

'Mikawa Yatsubusa' - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. Summer 2005. Even a tiny little beauty like this is distinct and wonderful.

'Mikawa Yatsubusa' - very congested growth with leaves overlapping and layering in a very lovely manner, Bonsai people love the options this shingling or clustering of foliage gives them for making little heads or clouds of foliage. Leaves are pale green and open darker green with very little red coloration. Petioles can be a nice bronze-red. Blades are biggish for a bonsai fav at 4-6cm but they are reduced under that culture. The bright green tufted of pointed lobes have a nearly bamboo-like effect at times.

'Murasaki Kiyohime' - a big terminal lob on 4-5cm blades, very dark purplish-red margins at first are appealing. It matures to much darker green with some red in it. It can have white speckles at times. It is often a low spreading mound with age, up to 3 times wide as tall.

'Okina' ('Okino', 'Okimo') - more deeply lobed than most witches broom types above, new growth pinkish, later green with reddish and crinkled margins.

'Ojishi' - It is a cousin of 'Shishigashira' but with larger, brighter green, and less crumpled foliage. It will reach 2m but only 2-5cm per year.

'Oto Hime' - Very good choice that reach 70cm x 130cm in 1 years, remaining denser than 'Kiyohime', often flat-topped too. Blades are 3-5cm long, new growth edged red, teeth regular and neat.

'Pygmy' - very slow, elongdated terminal lobe, seldom over 1m tall. Not a good name but used by Vertrees.

'Renjaku Maru' - smallish witches broom with reddish margins and tips on green.

'Ruby Star' - despite the name it has green summer foliage. Spring growth is a good rich red, later it becomes green with red to bronze margins, the new foliage contrasting nicely with the mature greener leaf. Good fall colors are common.

'Ryoku Ryu' - 3-5 small lobes, very deeply divided much as 'Sharp's Pygmy', some leaves deformed and irregular, habit more upright than some other dwarves. It reaches 2m easily and has a fresh, clean green color. Can be nice yellow in fall.

'Ryuzu' ('Tatsugashira') - 5-7 lobes with nice coral new growth, rich orange-golden fall colors, and big bold serrations. It has compact, sometimes bunched foliage to 2m tall. Mature foliage is a dark to medium green.

'Seigen' - notable for very bright coral-red new foliage becoming light green. The star-shaped blades are 4-5cm wide. It's only weakness is leafing out early which hurts in some areas. It branches well to 2m and is a bonsai favorite too.

'Seiun Kaku' - tufted bright green dwarf similar to a stronger 'Mikawa Yastsubusa'.

'Sharp's Pygmy' - this true dense, spreading dwarf is under 50cm for years, boades 2.5-4cm wide, very narrow lobes, nice orange to red fall colors. This is one of the finest dwarf clones on the market now and came from Jimmy Sharp of OR c. 1980.

'Shidava Gold' - this witches broom from 'Aoyagi' from Raraflora in New South Wales has bright yellowish-green foliage and pretty greenish bark. The blades are smaller than the parent at 4-5cm and it stays more compact under 2m in many years.

'Shishagashira' - click image
JC Raulston Arboretum. Summer 2003. This 5 foot tree only survives the 100 degree North Carolina summers under the lath of the collection.

'Shishagashira' ('Crispum', 'Ribesifolium', 'Minus', 'Cristatum') - The famous "Lion's Head Maple" is more semi-dwarf since it will reach 4-5m in time. In most gardens it will be kept in large containers or dry spots and seen at 1-2m. The tufted, 3-5cm leaves are often a rich, darker green, very crinkled and of irregular margins and teeth.  It is often trained in various ways from upright "clouds" to spreading tufts or something approaching a "giant bonsai". The stubby, reduced winter look is pleasant too. On it's own it can be very narrow, even vase-shaped, sometimes close to broadly columnar.

'Shishio Hime' - 5 lobes of 4-5cm wide have red margins at first, then medium green. Fall color can be a nice gold. It forms a low spreader, wider than tall on its own. It has a good balance of vigor and smallness. I have always loved the bright red tips each spring.

'Shishi Yatsubusa' - This one has nice star-like sharply pointed blades, good foliar density, and reportedly ease of use for bonsai applications.

'Suzu Kaze' - tiny leaf with reddish tips

'Suzu Maru' - dense, even tufted habit, pinkish new leaves become light green.

'Tama Hime' - this is a favorite for 2-4cm glossy olive-green blades with very showy red petioles, 2m globose form, with lots of red to yellow fall colors. The luster of thin is immediately appealing. As a bonsai the leaves are often just 1-2cm long.

'Taro Yama' - red tips become green with heavy red suffusions, having some orange tones. It is somewhat intermediate to red-leaved cultivars but has quite a bit of green at times.

'Tattoo' - very slow with tufted, congested growth, medium to dark green at maturity.

'Tiny Tim' - subglobose much as 'Coonara Pygmy', red petioles, possibly good red to yellow fall color. Richard Wolff selection from  Media, PA

'Tsukomo' - a more upright dwarf with bright orangey-red tips that become green margined red. Short internodes made it very dense. It can be sheared at bit to encourage lots of colorful shoot tips. Regrettably this beauty is hardy to graft. It can make a splendid small tree of 2m, like a denser, paler version of the subsp. palmatum.

'Warburton Pygmy' - dwarf, flat-topped, 30cm tall and wide in 10 years. From Donald Dosser of Australia.

'Wilson's Pink Dwarf' - a truly distinct intro from James Wilson of Millbrae CA. The tiny 1-2.5 cm leaves are bright pink to rose-red in new growthing become light green. A sheared, vigorous plant may be full of pink tips as if a flowering entity. The colorful growth can continue on strong plants for weeks of rich coral pigments.

'Yatsubusa' - while this epithet is part of other clone names above, it is understood by Vertrees to be a group of entities with smaller leaves of 2-4cm, usually a strong central lobe, color nearly all green with some red on the margins. One should obtain stock from a good source where the qualities of the stock can be determined to be reliable and strong.

'Yurihime' ('Yuri Hime') - very tiny dwarf, short internodes, blades 3-4cm wide, long narrow lobes, giving a feathery appearance. Vertrees recommends it for alpine gardens since it will not take over.