Laceleaf
or Dissectum maple cultivars
Cultivars marked 'New Grafts' may be ordered now for delivery starting in mid- to late April, after they leaf out. All orders that include new grafts will be shipped then. Other cultivars may become available in the next few weeks, and still others in September. Some cultivars may not be available some years, and will remain marked 'Sold Out'.
Laceleaf
or Dissectum Japanese maples are among the most
familiar types, so much so that some people wrongly think that
they are the only kind. Laceleafs are characterized by two main
traits: first, their leaf lobes are very narrow and serrated, giving
them a lacy appearance. Second, nearly all are shrublike, forming
a weeping, mushroom-shaped mound that is seldom seen more
than 5' tall. (They do get larger, but take many years to do so.)
We have to tip our hats to Triple Oaks Nursery (while
stealing their line) for the best general description of a laceleaf:
"...it will grow to the size of a Volkswagen, but slowly."
Crimson Queen New Grafts
Laceleafs
may be various shades of red or green, the most
common color being burgundy. There are a few variegated
cultivars, such as 'Toyama nishiki'. There are two exceptions
to the moundlike form. 'Seiryu' is a distinctly upright green tree,
but with leaves just like the mounding laceleafs. An upright red
form is the holy grail of Japanese maples, only partly achieved
by the new cultivar 'Lion Heart'. Any laceleaf may be staked
to increase its height, but it will retain its weeping/mounding form.