Amazing acers
SOME of the best autumn trees for the small garden are the Japanese maples (Acer palmatum and A. japonicum), which can be planted now. In October, they burn breathtaking shades of yellow, amber or scarlet before the leaves fall. Their slender multi-branched trunks ensure they look good all year, whether they have the iconic mounded form reminiscent of a Japanese garden or an elegant upright habit.
Native to Korea and Japan, where they grow in the understorey of woodland, these deciduous shrubs and trees were introduced to Britain in the 1800s and are now one of ‘Uki-gumo’ (the floating cloud tree) has green and white leaves; ‘Inaba-shidare’ bears claret foliage that is crimson in autumn; and the remarkable ‘Sango-kaku’ has pink-yellow spring leaves, golden autumn leaves and coral-red winter stems.
