Plant Database

Other Names:  Beni-hime Japanese Maple

Description:

A very slow growing dwarf variety with tiny emerging red leaves on deep red stems that mature to green with red tips; fall tones of raspberry purple; a very low mounded habit with fine texture; an ideal selection for small gardens, containers, or bonsai

Ornamental Features

Beni Hime Japanese Maple is primarily valued in the garden for its interestingly mounded form. It has attractive dark red-tipped green foliage which emerges red in spring. The tiny lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of yellow, gold and burgundy in the fall. The crimson stems are very effective and add winter interest.

Landscape Attributes

Beni Hime Japanese Maple is a dense multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a mounded form. It lends an extremely fine and delicate texture to the landscape composition which should be used to full effect.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Beni Hime Japanese Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Mass Planting
• Rock/Alpine Gardens
• General Garden Use
• Container Planting

Planting & Growing

Beni Hime Japanese Maple will grow to be about 24 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 3 feet. It has a low canopy. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This shrub does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.

Beni Hime Japanese Maple makes a fine choice for the outdoor landscape, but it is also well-suited for use in outdoor pots and containers. It can be used either as 'filler' or as a 'thriller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination, depending on the height and form of the other plants used in the container planting. It is even sizeable enough that it can be grown alone in a suitable container. Note that when grown in a container, it may not perform exactly as indicated on the tag - this is to be expected. Also note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.