Japanese maples are treasured for their graceful form, colorful foliage, and adaptability to small spaces. If you’re looking for a compact maple with vivid color, Little Red is an excellent choice. This dwarf cultivar packs huge visual impact into a petite package.
Overview of Little Red Japanese Maple
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Little Red is a narrow, upright dwarf variety of Japanese maple.
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It was discovered and introduced in the early 2000s by plantsman Crispin Silva.
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Matures at just 6-8 feet tall by 2-3 feet wide in 10 years. Tight, columnar form.
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Foliage emerges bright red in spring darkens to maroon in summer and turns fiery red in fall.
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Hardy in USDA zones 5-9. Withstands temperatures down to -10°F when established
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Thrives in sun or part shade. More sun brings out the best leaf color.
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Adds a strong vertical accent to gardens and containers. Works great in tight spaces.
The Vibrant Foliage of Little Red
Foliage is the star of the show with Little Red maple. It packs year-round color into a petite package:
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Spring – New leaves emerge a bright, almost neon red. This glowing color lights up the garden.
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Summer – Foliage transitions to a deeper maroon-red as spring growth matures.
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Fall – Leaves turn fiery orange-red in autumn before dropping.
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Winter – The red twigs add interest after leaves drop.
Little Red keeps the color coming across all four seasons. The new spring growth against mature leaves is especially striking.
Growing Tips for Little Red Maple
Little Red is easy to grow. Here are some tips:
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Plant in full sun for the most vivid leaf color. Can tolerate part shade.
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Provide average moisture and well-drained soil. Avoid wet, poorly drained sites.
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Prune only to shape. Little pruning needed thanks to naturally compact size.
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Fertilize in spring with a balanced organic fertilizer to encourage growth.
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Water regularly until established. Mulch to conserve moisture and suppress weeds.
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Protect from harsh winds. Stake young trees until they develop a strong root system.
With proper siting and care, Little Red will thrive for years of beauty. It’s one tough maple!
Using Little Red Maple in the Landscape
The dwarf size and showy color of Little Red maple make it a star in any garden:
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Accent plant in borders, rock gardens, and island beds
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Focal point container specimen on patios and entryways
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Group in multiples for a vibrant, high-impact hedge or screen
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Skinny accent near foundations, fences, and other vertical structures
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Focal point in a small-scale Asian-inspired garden
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Bonsai specimen to display indoors or in an outdoor bonsai garden
Little Red fits perfectly in today’s compact gardens. It packs a huge visual punch into a petite package.
Varieties Similar to Little Red
If you like the look of Little Red but want to explore other options, here are some cultivars to consider:
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Red Dragon – Deep red foliage on a contorted dwarf maple. Grows wider than Little Red.
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Shaina – Red new growth turns maroon-green. Compact mounding habit to 6 feet tall and wide.
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Beni Maiko – Bright red spring leaves become speckled summer foliage. Broad upright form to 7 feet tall.
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Wilson’s Pink Dwarf – Brilliant pink spring leaves soften to pale green. Broad dwarf to 6 feet tall and wide.
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Red Pygmy – Deep crimson spring leaves morph to purple-burgundy. Rounded dwarf to 5 feet tall and wide.
Bring striking red color to your garden all year with the petite powerhouse Little Red Japanese maple!
What is a Dwarf Japanese Maple?
Shown here: Waterfall Japanese Maple
A dwarf Japanese maple is a small, ornamental tree native to Japan and other parts of East Asia. Japanese maples are bred or chosen to be dwarf varieties because they grow more slowly and are smaller than regular Japanese maples. They offer a grand display with their foliage, perfect for many petite landscapes and gardens.
10 Dwarf Japanese Maples for Your Landscape
With these characteristics in mind, it’s time to find the perfect tree for your space. Don’t forget to consult our guide on how to select the right Japanese Maple for your environment. And in addition to our dwarf maple varieties, we’ve also got eclectic Japanese maples for you to explore.
Here are 10 of our best dwarf Japanese maples that will add striking beauty to your landscape.
The Velvet Viking™ Japanese Maple thrives in the full sun of cooler regions. This beautiful tree includes low, spreading branches on a beautifully mounded dwarf form. This plant’s rich red, deeply cut leaves stay that color all season, and in the fall, they turn even more vibrant red. It’s a great container specimen that’s exceptionally cold-tolerant. Part to full sun. Up to 3 tall, 8 wide. Zones 4-9.
Crimson Queen Japanese Maple is a low-branching dwarf tree with a delicate form. Its foliage holds a beautiful crimson color during the summer and can turn bright scarlet in autumn. The Crimson Queen is sun-tolerant in cooler regions where sunlight intensifies its vibrant foliage color. Part to full sun. Up to 10 tall and wide. Zones 5-8.
Because it falls over, the Waterfall Japanese Maple is a great tree to put in garden beds and borders. The cascading branches and large, finely cut green leaves turn a golden color in fall. This tree does well in full or partial sun in cool climates or afternoon shade in hot areas. Up to 10 tall, 12 wide. Zones 5-8.
This Japanese maple is prized for its thrilling, highly dramatic foliage color. Its spring leaves are salmon-red, green in midsummer, then turn orange-scarlet in autumn. The Shin Deshojo’s new growth continues to emerge red and contrasts dramatically with the mature foliage. This maple does well in filtered sun, partial shade, and partial sun. Up to 9 tall and wide. Zones 5-8.
The Shaina Japanese Maple is another fantastic option for an elegant container specimen. This dwarf maple grows in a loose network of branches that gets dense as it gets older. Its new leaves are bright red when they first appear and turn deep maroon as they age. This striking maple makes for a great small lawn tree or a standout accent in your entryway garden. Part shade to full sun. Up to 8 tall, 10 wide. Up to Zones 5-8.
The Tamukeyama Japanese Maple is a beautiful choice if you want a Japanese maple with a deeper color and a habit of slowly weeping. This graceful dwarf tree has waxy, deep-red bark and cascading branches. Its deeply lobed foliage is purple-red throughout the summer and turns bright red in the fall. Part shade to part sun. Up to 10 tall, 12 wide. Zones 5-8.
There are a lot of dense, close-together branches on the Rhode Island Red Japanese Maple, which grows straight up and has a round crown. It has beautiful red leaves that get deeper as they age, and in the fall when it gets cooler, orange tones show up. In the winter, its red stems add color to its bare silhouette. When you choose a spot for this beautiful tree, keep in mind that it shouldn’t be in the harsh afternoon sun in places that get very hot in the summer. Part shade to full sun. Up to 6 tall and wide. Zones 5-9.
The Red Dragon Japanese Maple has deeply dissected, deep-purple leaves that have a fine, lacy appearance. This unique texture adds visual dimension to other broader-leaved trees and shrubs. Its another great container specimen and deserves to be enjoyed as a focal point. When temperatures cool in the fall, the foliage becomes a bright red. Part to full sun. Up to 8 tall, 5 wide. Zones 5-8.
Looking for a less traditional Japanese maple? The Kagiri Nishiki maple fits the bill. It has light green leaves with pink and white edges that aren’t smooth. The pink tones are stronger in the fall. It’s a fine, slow-growing, vase-shaped tree perfect in Asian-themed gardens or courtyards. Part shade to full sun. Up to 8 tall, 4 wide. Zones 5-8.
People love the Viridis Japanese Maple for its bright green leaves that turn gold and red in the fall. This little tree has beautiful branching architecture and looks great as a accent tree under bigger trees, near a water garden, or in a pot. This Japanese maple thrives in dappled sunlight, as well as part shade to part sun situations. Up to 10 tall, 8 wide. Zones 5-8.
Comparing Red Dwarf Japanese Maples! Specimen Sizes! | MrMaple.com Saturday Showcase
How tall do dwarf Japanese maple trees grow?
A stunning feature of dwarf Japanese maples is their red, orange, yellow, purple, green, and pink leafy foliage. Typically, dwarf varieties of Japanese maples grow between 3 and 10 ft. (1 – 3 m) tall. There are many types of compact Japanese maple trees to plant in your yard. Different dwarf Japanese maple varieties have different colored leaves.
Where can I buy a dwarf Japanese maple tree?
You can purchase the ‘Beni Hime’ Dwarf Japanese Maple from Planting Tree. Hardiness: Beni-hime thrive in USDA zones 5-9. Light exposure: Full sun with partial afternoon shade. Size: maximum of 4 feet tall with a spread of6 feet, but maximum of 2 feet tall and wide in containers.
What color is a dwarf Japanese maple?
Foliage Colors: Like regular Japanese maples, dwarf Japanese maples offer a wide range of foliage colors that change throughout the seasons. Depending on the cultivar, they can display shades of green, red, purple, orange, and yellow, with striking autumn colors.
What is the smallest Japanese maple?
Of the weeping variety, the Waterfall dwarf Japanese maple is one of the smallest. This maple gets its name from its drooping branches and long leaves that cascade downwards like water. Most dwarf Japanese maples are slow growers, but this one is a little quicker in growth. In 10 years, it will reach about 6 feet.