As with all maples, pruning and shaping is best done a little each year making major cuts unnecessary. The tiny leaves are a good medium green, tipped with pink in the spring. 6 Sent to us by noted bonsai artist Gary Sachs, who said it was his favorite, we have found it to be dependable, easy to propagate, and easy to train for bonsai. Color is pale yellow green touched with orangy-red in the spring, and maturing to a good medium green in the summer. This is an excellent choice for containers or the rock garden.
Leaves emerge bright pink, changing soon to a deep brown-red.
As the season progresses they change again, this time to a medium green. We have found this little semi-dwarf to be nice to work with for bonsai, because of the small leaves, horizontal branching habit, and unusual color changes. Spring color is a dark green overlaid with red, summer brings a light bright green which is transformed by autumn chill to a brilliant combination of yellow, gold and crimson. A beautiful miniature tree. Branching and re-branching, it will form a dense round bush if unpruned.