The Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple is a striking and beautiful small tree, reaching 15 feet tall, and the same across. The leaves are broader than most Japanese Maples, with 9 to 13 shallow lobes, and in spring they are yellow with a thin red edge. They turn chartreuse-green in summer, and brilliant oranges and reds in fall. Trees develop small red flowers and clusters of red maple keys in winter. This is an ideal tree for sun or partial shade, and the perfect focal point in a woodland garden. Use it to complete your Asian-themed garden, as a tree on a small lawn area, or you can grow it in a large container on a terrace. It grows from zones 5 to 7 and this special tree will become a loved feature in any garden.
- Beautiful broad leaves are golden yellow with red edges in spring
- Gorgeous fall colors of orange and red
- Graceful small tree to 15 feet, with a broad form
- Grows well in full sun or partial shade
- Ideal focal point in shady gardens, or as a container tree
The Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple grows in most soils, and prefers moist, well-drained soil enriched with organic material. Mulch the roots to conserve water and gently provide nutrients at the same time. If attention is paid to watering, this is an easy tree to grow, with no pests or diseases, and it needs no trimming or training to develop its beautiful, broad rounded form. This very special tree is a sought-after form of the remarkable Japanese maples, with a unique charm that will make your garden a wonderful place.
In a shady garden, the best color for a highlight or focal point is light green, perhaps a lime or chartreuse green. Darker colors like reds just disappear into the shade. If you want to highlight your shade garden with a beautiful plant, then the Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple is the perfect choice. This small tree, growing between 10 and 15 or perhaps 20 feet tall in time, and just as wide, is perfect to catch your attention throughout spring and summer. In fall it turns glowing orange and red, mimicking the colors of the sugar maple, and making just as big a splash. The Full Moon Japanese Maple has larger, rounded leaves than regular Japanese maples do, so they are more noticeable, and help make this tree a stand-out feature in any garden.
Leaves and Flowers on the Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple
The Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple is a small deciduous tree, with rounded leaves that are about 4 inches across. Each leave has nine to thirteen shallow lobes, not as deeply cut as the fingers on the regular Japanese maple. The leaves unfold like fans in spring, beginning the year in a bright shade of golden yellow-green, usually with a fine edging of red around the developing leaves. As the summer arrives and the leaves expand and mature, they become more chartreuse to lime-green, but still bringing a golden glow to your garden. As fall arrives the leaves begin to change color, gradually spreading until the whole tree is a stunning display of glowing oranges and reds, competing with the best of the fall maples to catch your attention.
Established trees produce clusters of small red flowers, just as the leaves are beginning to appear, and over summer these develop into bright-red maple ‘keys’, like miniature versions of those commonly seen on large maple trees. These create a lovely display in late fall and winter, hanging on the branches in a colorful show.
Growing Golden Full Moon Japanese Maples
The Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple grows into a small tree or multi-stem shrub, with a broad habit and graceful look. It will grow best in full sun in cooler areas, and in light shade, preferably in the afternoon, in warmer areas. It will also grow well in the dappled shade beneath large shade trees, but with more shade there will be some reduction in the intensity of fall colors.
Caring For Your Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple
It should be grown in rich, well-drained soil, and although established trees can tolerate some short periods of dryness, for the best look, especially during summer, regular watering is recommended. Pay particular attention to watering during the first season or two, watering at least once a week from spring to fall. Use a mulch over the root zone, and check that the soil underneath it is moist at all times.
You may also want to grow this tree in a large container, where it will live for many years. This way it can be given the best watering and fertilizing, and it can also be easily moved as needed for suitable light conditions and to show it off at peak periods. With attention to watering, the Golden Full Moon Japanese Maple is actually easy to grow, and rarely suffers from any pests or diseases.
