Peridot Flame Japanese Maple

Japanese maples are jewels among trees, with a unique beauty and special charm we all love. Named after the green gem-stone called peridot, we can certainly say that the Peridot Flame Japanese Maple is a gem, and a wonderful tree, with its lush green leaves all summer accented by delicious tones of orange and red in spring. In fall it develops powerful golden and burgundy tones, and this vigorous tree is ideal for anyone who doesn’t want to wait long for a prize specimen to develop.

Growing Peridot Flame Japanese Maple Trees

The Peridot Flame Japanese Maple is a vigorous, fast-growing tree adding at least 12 inches to its height every year – even more when young and grown under good conditions.   Within 10 years it will already be a 10 to 12-foot substantial tree, spreading 5 feet wide, and it will ultimately reach at least 20 feet and even more. Allow plenty of room when planting for it to reach its full size comfortably, planting it at least 6 feet or more from walls, fences, property lines and the outer edge of other trees. Such a beautiful plant should be allowed to show itself off to the full. 

Plant Description

Green leaves are often overlooked in Japanese maples, but this is not an ordinary green-leaf tree. To begin with, the leaves are large and elegant, with 7 long lobes dividing the leaf almost entirely to its base. They stand elegantly out, on long stalks, giving a beautiful look to this tree. The leaf is up to 4 inches across, and each lobe has pronounced teeth along the edge, and the lobes spread out and arch over slightly towards their ends. It is the irregular serrations along the leaf edges that are the ‘flame’ it is named for. As for the ‘peridot’, this is a precious gem-stone with a unique rich olive-green coloring that is exactly mirrored in the rich green of the summer leaves. the veins are conspicuous and paler lime-green color. It is a green you will never tire of, but the tree certainly livens it up, because in spring you would think you had a different tree. The spring leaves are very variable, sometimes almost pure, pale, orange-yellow, sometimes the palest yellow-green or pale orange-pink, and sometimes with pronounced yellow veins and a dusting or orange-brown across the leaf. Spring is an exciting and unpredictable time if you grow this tree. In fall the leaves turn a pure shade of golden yellow, with darker orange and even deep burgundy towards the ends of the branches. What an extraordinary color palette.

Planting and Initial Care

With its fast growth and larger leaves, the Peridot Flame Japanese Maple makes a lovely specimen in a lawn, where although it normally grows as a multi-stem tree, it could be trained to a central trunk. It would look wonderful behind shrubs in a large bed or planted among other small trees and dogwoods in a woodland garden. It would also make a graceful plant in a large container, where it will not grow so tall. For long-term container growing, use a well-drained soil mix designed for trees or bonsai, or use regular potting soil and add 20% fine gravel or very coarse sand. The container must have a large drainage hole, and never leave your tree standing in a saucer of water.

Grow the Peridot Flame Japanese Maple in full sun in cooler zones, and in partial shade in hotter areas. Afternoon shade is always valuable, but this tree will not burn easily in the sun, after the first year or two of growth. During those early years, it is important to water regularly and deeply, so that your tree spreads out its roots and established a good hold. That way, in later years, it will have good resistance to ordinary dry periods. Even so, it will still benefit from watering during extended dry spells. Pests or diseases are rarely if ever a problem and this vigorous tree will thrive and grow rapidly, once it is established.

History and Origins of Peridot Flame Japanese Maple Trees

The Peridot Flame Japanese Maple is a unique form of the Japanese maple, Acer palmatum. Growing across the hills of Japan, often mixed with Hinoki cypress and other larger forest trees, this tree is loved by the Japanese people, who have collected unique forms for centuries. Many varieties exist today, mostly reproduced from unique seedlings, and this is probably the origin of the variety called ‘Peridot Flame’. Exactly by who, where and when it was selected has been lost, so we must settle for simply enjoying its beauty. At the Tree Center we have a loyal and active following for our Japanese maples, and this unique variety always attracts a lot of attention. Our stock will not last long, so order now, and enjoy the refined beauty of this lovely tree in your own garden.