Light
Morning sun, afternoon shade. Winter sun brightens the bark.
Growing guide · Trees
Acer palmatum
How to grow Coral Bark Japanese Maple 'Sango-kaku'.
Best in winter, which is rare.
- Light
- Part sun
- Water
- Moderate
- Zones
- 5–8
- Size
- 15–25 ft tall, 10–20 ft wide
- Spacing
- 12–15 ft. from other trees and buildings.
- Pets
- Not pet-safe; keep out of reach
Water
Water weekly the first two years and in drought.
Planting and soil
Spring or fall, root flare at the soil line. Rich, well-drained soil; mulch, but not against the trunk.
Feeding
Light. A little compost in spring.
Pruning
Late winter: remove dead or crossing twigs. New growth has the best color, so light pruning helps.
Through the year
Yellow-green leaves in spring, green in summer, gold in fall. Coral-red stems in winter.
If something's off
Scorched leaf edges from hot sun or wind. Dieback in wet, heavy soil.
Coral bark, gold leaves.
The coral bark maple. Young stems turn bright coral-red in cold weather, so it does its best work in winter. Leaves come in yellow-green in spring and go gold in fall.
Why we stock it: Color in February, when the rest of the garden has none.
Japanese Maple 'Sango-kaku'from $99.95 · Arrives alive, or we replace it
Japanese Maple 'Sango-kaku'from $99.95 · Arrives alive, or we replace it