Maple
Bronze Age
Acer shirasawanum
A phenomenal, avant-garde hybrid maple that beautifully bridges the structural traits of Acer shirasawanum and Acer palmatum. 'Bronze Age' forms an elegant, upright tree with a sweeping crown. Its leaves feature 7 to 9 narrow, deeply divided lobes that mimic an outstretched hand, offering a highly unique textural presence. In early spring, the canopy emerges an intense bronze-red dramatically highlighted by bright lime-green or chartreuse veining. Mid-summer deepens the mature leaves into rich burgundy over olive-green, punctuated by an electric secondary flush of salmon-pink and bright bronze branch tips. Autumn brings a stunning shift to luminous golden-yellow, amber, and deep orange.
Growing Specifications
- Height
- 8-10 feet (At 10 years; can reach 15-20 feet at long-term maturity)
- Spread
- 6-8 feet (Broadens into a graceful, rounded spreading crown with age)
- Watering
- Moderate to Consistent; requires uniform moisture profiles but hates soggy feet
- Light
- Morning sun, afternoon shade
- Heat Tolerance
- Excellent for a shirasawanum lineage; displays advanced sun resistance
- Growth Rate
- Moderate (Puts on 10-12 inches of dense vertical growth per year)
- Soil Requirement
- Loose, well-draining, aggregate-heavy, highly organic, slightly acidic
North Texas Micro-climate Notes
Expert Curated Selection. Thanks to its hybrid vigor, 'Bronze Age' features an advanced cellular resistance to leaf-bleaching and heat stress compared to pure shirasawanum varieties. In North Texas, ensure it is situated where it captures full morning light up until noon to optimize its tight node density and intense spring bronze-red coloring. Shield it completely from the scorching 2 PM to 6 PM southwestern sun and dry wind corridors to prevent edge-singe. Keep the root zone safely insulated under 3 inches of organic mulch.
History & Lineage
- INTRODUCED BY
- Talon Buchholz (Buchholz & Buchholz Nursery)
- HISTORY
- Discovered as a highly stable, distinctive hybrid seedling selection and formally introduced to international commerce by the legendary plantsman Talon Buchholz of Buchholz & Buchholz Nursery in Gaston, Oregon. Highly sought after by modern collectors for introducing deep bronze-purple tones and outstanding thermal durability to the Full Moon maple family.
Care Instructions
Must be planted in highly porous, well-amended soil beds with exceptional drainage; highly sensitive to heavy, compacted native clay. Provide deep, slow-soaking water cycles weekly during extended summer dry spells. Prune minimally during winter dormancy to maintain its clean, upright vase architecture.
Landscape Usage
Perfect as a high-contrast companion alongside golden or chartreuse selections, an exquisite focal point in formal entryways, an eye-catching background structure for modern rock features, or styled beautifully inside a premium courtyard container layout.
Fun Fact
Because 'Bronze Age' carries Acer palmatum hybrid genetics, it breaks away from the traditional solid-plate leaf layout of standard Full Moon maples. Its deeply divided, filigree-like fingers offer an exceptional structural contrast, looking completely different when displayed right next to classic full-moon selections like 'Autumn Moon'.
Awards
Highly acclaimed across specialty North American maple registries for superb multi-phase seasonal color and structural resilience
