Maple
Lileeanes Jewel
Acer palmatum
An incredibly striking, new, and rare variegated selection of Japanese Maple. 'Lileeane's Jewel' features unique, skinny, heavily divided palmate leaves that sit perfectly between a classic broadleaf and a laceleaf dissectum. The spring foliage emerges a bright cherry-red, completely covered with a heavy, unstable splash pattern of brilliant pink and waxy white variegation. Mid-summer tones transition to a multi-toned green-red with persistent light variegation, concluding in a spectacular autumn display of crimson reds infused with hot pink fireworks.
Growing Specifications
- Height
- 8-10 feet (Can reach 10-12 feet in 15 years)
- Spread
- 5-6 feet
- Watering
- Moderate; maintain even, reliable root moisture
- Light
- Morning sun, afternoon shade
- Heat Tolerance
- Good; exhibits surprising sun resilience for a highly variegated plant
- Growth Rate
- Slow (Dense, compact, shrubby upright habit)
- Soil Requirement
- Loose, well-draining, highly porous, slightly acidic
North Texas Micro-climate Notes
Expert Curated Selection. Despite its heavy pale variegation, this cultivar has demonstrated excellent sun stability compared to older variegated varieties. However, in North Texas, it still requires safety protection from the brutal, desiccating southwest 3 PM sun and hot dry winds to keep the pink margins pristine. Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilization, which can force the plant to outgrow its variegated traits.
History & Lineage
- INTRODUCED BY
- Johnathon Savelich
- HISTORY
- Discovered as a highly distinct chance variegated seedling by plantsman Johnathon Savelich. Recognizing the commercial stability and absolute uniqueness of its splashed pink leaf habit, he propagated the strain and named the selection after his daughter, Lileeane. It was subsequently shared with premier specialty nurseries to introduce it to modern collectors.
Care Instructions
Plant in a highly porous, well-amended organic soil mix with flawless drainage. Practice deep, slow-soaking water cycles during summer high-heat stretches. Apply minimal, low-nitrogen slow-release organic fertilizer exclusively in early spring.
Landscape Usage
An exceptional color accent specimen for high-contrast patio container growing, an exquisite focal point in modern courtyard beds, or styled prominently within a Japandi botanical scheme.
Fun Fact
The spectacular variegation on this tree looks exactly like someone took a brush loaded with hot pink paint and casually splattered it across a dark red maple canopy. Because it is a highly unstable variegation mutation, growers are cautioned to completely prune out any purely solid red or green reversion branches to maintain its unique pattern.
Awards
Highly coveted across global collectors' registries for its avant-garde variegation pattern and rare leaf structure
