Maple
Orangeola
Acer palmatum
One of the most brilliant, vigorous, and popular weeping red lace-leaf Japanese Maples in cultivation. 'Orangeola' features an elegant, cascading, mound-forming habit with exceptionally fine, ribbon-like dissected leaves. The seasonal color progression is spectacular: emerging in early spring as a high-gloss, blazing orange-scarlet, maturing into a multi-toned rich burgundy-green by mid-summer, and flashing a dramatic late-season secondary flush of bright orange over the mature canopy. In autumn, the whole tree ignites into an unforgettable display of fiery pumpkin-orange and bright, glowing crimson.
Growing Specifications
- Height
- 6-8 feet (At 15 years, highly dependent on graft height and staking)
- Spread
- 8-10 feet
- Watering
- Moderate to Regular; maintain reliable root moisture profile
- Light
- Morning sun, afternoon shade
- Heat Tolerance
- Excellent; highly regarded as one of the most heat-hardy dissectums
- Growth Rate
- Fast for a laceleaf (Develops a cascading umbrella form quickly as a juvenile)
- Soil Requirement
- Loose, well-draining, organic-rich, slightly acidic
North Texas Micro-climate Notes
Expert Curated Selection. Because this cultivar was selected right here in Texas, it features an advanced cellular structure that handles Southern heat waves and high humidity remarkably well without dropping its leaves. In North Texas, ensure it receives filtered afternoon shade starting around 1:30 PM to prevent the intense sun from baking out the waxy orange leaf margins. Keep the root zone insulated under a thick 3-inch layer of pine bark mulch.
History & Lineage
- INTRODUCED BY
- Del Loucks
- HISTORY
- Discovered, evaluated, and formally introduced to the global nursery trade by legendary plantsman Del Loucks. Selected specifically for its structural vigor and uncanny ability to maintain stunning leaf health and brilliant multi-toned colors in the unforgiving Texas climate, it quickly spread worldwide and earned the Royal Horticultural Society's prestigious Award of Garden Merit.
Care Instructions
Must be planted slightly above the surrounding grade in high-porosity soil heavily amended with expanded shale or organic matter to ensure sharp drainage. Provide a deep, slow-soaking water cycle during summer heatwaves. Avoid heavy nitrogen fertilizers to protect its tight, elegant weeping node form.
Landscape Usage
Superb as a weeping focal point cascading over heavy stone retaining walls, flanking a modern garden walkway, styled next to a courtyard water feature, or curated as a high-end container specimen in a Japandi garden scheme.
Fun Fact
Unlike many older red lace-leaf maples that hold a uniform dark maroon state all summer, 'Orangeola' actively changes gears. Its intense secondary flush of bright orange summer tips rests on top of the dark burgundy interior, giving the entire weeping mound a multi-dimensional, shimmering bi-color appearance.
Awards
Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Award of Garden Merit
