Japanese Sunrise (Acer palmatum 'Japanese Sunrise' )

Acer palmatum ‘Japanese Sunrise’ is going to mimic the colors of the ever popular Sango kaku. ‘Japanese Sunrise’ emerges in the spring with very light green leaves that really pop against the remanence of red stems from winter. These leaves mature to a darker yet still light green color in the summer.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Aratama')

This is a wonderful dwarf as it is varying reds all summer and holds up very well in the sun.

Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)

These are pretty typical green palmtums. As you can see there is a difference in color and when in the fall they assume their colors. All here are about 12′ (some do get larger), and most branch low. zone 5

Issai nishiki (Acer palmatum 'Issai nishiki' )

Issai nishiki, a plain green, has only one distinctive characteristic but it is a doozy–the bark is wildly rough and grey, and it develops this trait immediately. There is a small problem tho and that is that the grafted trunk is quite different from below the graft so the graft has to be very very low on the trunk because the difference is stark. You can see the union in this picture.

Iijima sunago (Acer palmatum 'IIjima sunago' )

Iijima Sunago’s attraction is subtle. It’s leaves are large and regularly palmate, deep purple in the spring, changing to greenish brown in full summerwhen it becomes oddly speckled with green spots; at this time it also displays it’s prominent midribs in contrasting yellow; the winter color of the wood is golden. zone 6

Ichigyogi (Acer palmatum 'Ichigyoji' )

Ichigyogi in the summer is identical to its sister Osaka zuki; in the fall, it is supposed to be golden beside its sibling’s scarlet.

Hupps Dwarf (Acer palmatum 'Hupps Dwarf' )

One of the smallest tightest dwarfs; the leaves are mostly green but show some red and yellow when emerging; it is very brittle and hard to propagate but very desirable. Pic from Michael Healy.

Hubbs Red Willow (Acer palmatum 'Hubbs Red Willow' )

In my opinion, the best of thel red linearlobum cultivars, this small tree (to 7′) is vase-shaped and keeps its color well. zone 6

Hog Yoku (Acer palmatum 'Hog yoku' )

I wish I had taken a picture of a mature tree because this is an ideal tree, in the Platonic sense. It has shiny clean green medium-sized leaves in the summer and bright orange fall color. The tree itself will get maybe 15′ and is round headed and regular–just a great looking tree. zone 5.

Higaseyama (Acer palmatum 'Higaseyama' )

People get really excited about this cultivar because of the leaf coloration, but it is a major pain to get the tree to exhibit it. If the tree is growing hard, none of the new leaves will show this leaf so if you want to see it, give your tree no fertilizer and hardly any water. zone 5