Maple
Katsura
Acer palmatum
A legendary heirloom Japanese Maple celebrated as one of the most brilliant spring-focal cultivars in cultivation. 'Katsura' features a dense, highly ramified, upright vase-shaped structure. It is famously one of the absolute earliest maples to break dormancy in spring, bursting with small, deeply divided 5-lobed leaves that emerge an intense, luminous apricot-orange to pale golden-yellow, sharply outlined with a striking line of reddish-orange along the margins. The canopy ages to a clean chartreuse-green in summer before igniting into a spectacular autumn finale of bright pastel yellows and deep neon oranges.
Growing Specifications
- Height
- 12-15 feet
- Spread
- 10-12 feet
- Watering
- Regular, uniform deep-root irrigation; highly sensitive to drying out
- Light
- Morning sun, afternoon shade
- Heat Tolerance
- Good once established with sheltered root zones
- Growth Rate
- Moderate (Vigorous and fast-growing as a juvenile)
- Soil Requirement
- Moist, rich, organically loose, sharply well-draining, slightly acidic
North Texas Micro-climate Notes
Expert Curated Selection. Because 'Katsura' breaks dormancy exceptionally early, its tender spring foliage can be vulnerable to late regional snap-frosts. In North Texas, it is mandatory to provide afternoon shade to protect its pale, chlorophyll-light golden spring leaves from bleaching or crisping under the harsh 2 PM sun. Keep the soil root zone consistently mulched and protected from persistent, drying southern winds.
History & Lineage
- INTRODUCED BY
- Traditional Japanese Horticulture
- HISTORY
- An ancient Japanese cultivar long revered in traditional estate gardens. It was formally introduced to Western horticulture in the mid-20th century and heavily documented by the preeminent authority Dr. J.D. Vertrees, who noted it as 'striking in its spring growth'. It has since become a staple of global collector collections, earning the Royal Horticultural Society's prestigious Award of Garden Merit.
Care Instructions
Demands high-porosity, loose soil; never allow it to sit in stagnant water or unamended native clay beds. Water deeply and slowly at the base during the heat of July and August. Prune exclusively during deep winter dormancy to avoid excessive sap bleeding.
Landscape Usage
Superb as a standalone understory specimen, a magnificent courtyard focal tree, or styled gracefully within a premier container layout to anchor a modern Japandi landscape design.
Fun Fact
The word 'Katsura' translates literally to 'wig' or 'hairpiece' in Japanese, which references the way its small, delicate leaves naturally cascade and curve slightly downward along the twiggy branchlets, creating a thick, overlapping dome of color.
Awards
Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Award of Garden Merit
