Acer Palmatum Festival Japanese Maple

Acer Palmatum Festival is a deciduous small yet fairly fast-growing Japanese Maple with multi-hued foliage and excellent autumn colour. It suits sheltered borders and can be grown in plant containers. 

Japanese Maples are native to Japan but many cultivars have been bred over the past hundred years. Acer Palmatum Festival is known for its riot of colourful foliage and smart upright growth habit.

Its leaves emerge mid-green in spring with narrowly divided fingers and tiny flowers that mature into red-flushed seed pods in autumn. Leaves remain green until late summer when they begin to flush shades of red, and when early autumn approaches its leaf centres turn orange and slowly spreads to the lobes. At this point, a kaleidoscope of colour is created by simultaneous green, orange, and red leaves. Foliage eventually falls to reveal ornamental reddish-brown stems in winter.

Japanese Acer Festival lives up to its name with a festival of bright colours throughout the year. It’s an excellent choice for sheltered garden borders and courtyard specimen trees. 

Height And Spread of Acer Palmatum Festival
Japanese Maple Festival is small but upright tree. It is faster growing than other small acers. It will reach a max height of 4 metres in about 10 years.

How Hardy Is Acer Palmatum Festival
If the roots are well-drained Japanese Maple Festival can withstand minus temperatures. It prefers a sheltered spot in partial shade because sun and wind can scorch the leaves. 

How To Use Acer Palmatum Festival
Japanese Maple Festival is a superb way to bring lots of spring to autumn colour to your garden without a lot of maintenance. Its multi-hued leaves light up dull spots with fresh vivid colour and interesting texture.
It suits well-watered balconies, decks or patio containers, sheltered country-style borders, urban courtyards, rockeries, and low-maintenance leafy wildlife gardens. 

How To Care For Acer Palmatum Festival
This acer is easy to grow and needs little maintenance. Choose a well-drained fertile spot in a sheltered position and it will thrive with the best leaf colour emerging in partial shade. Too much sun, dry soil, and harsh winds lead to leaf scorch.
Festival prefers neutral to acid soils and likes plenty of nutrients, so add lots of mulch in spring and again in autumn to protect its roots.  Regular pruning is not needed and may ruin Japanese acers but you can cut away crossed or damaged branches in the dormant season. 
Water it well until established and ensure that container-grown acers are watered and fed throughout the hot months. Place them on drainage feet during winter to protect roots against frost.