Emperor 1 (Acer palmatum 'Emperor 1' )

This is one of those ‘Next Big Things’. Emperor 1 is supposed to have good red leaves that stay red in the summer and have a certain translucent quality so that you can see the sun shining through the leaves. It is a nice tree, but I am not sure that I could tell it from a ‘Bloodgood’ if I were really pressed. It does grow reasonably fast to 18′ and then will leisurely get taller, maybe 25′ or so. zone 5

Elmwood (Acer palmatum 'Elmwood' )

A nice green reticulated leaf in spring. Orange fall color.

Elizabeth (Acer palmatum 'Elizabeth' )

Elizabeth is very very similar to Kandy Kitchen, both horrible names for a Japanese maple but good plants. Red leaf tight dwarfs they are a hair more vigorous than Shaina,et al. Red all summer and even brighter in the fall.

Dr. Seuss (Acer palmatum 'Dr Seuss' )

Dr. Seuss is an attractive bushy dwarf with mostly green leaves altho in spring they are variegated; the leaf lobes are narrow so it gives a delicate look without being sickly.

Cynthia's Crown Jewel (Acer palmatum 'Cynthias Crown Jewel')

Get in line folks. This one is worth waiting for. A colorful dwarf with leaves like Beni komachi: five narrow deeply incised lobes, irregular and small. And so pretty.

Crimson Carole (Acer palmatum 'Crimson Carole')

Serrated, dissected leaves give this upright red palmatum a feathery look.

Corallinum (Acer palmatum 'Corallinum')

Is this an incredible color, or what? There are several cultivars which exhibit this same spring foliage, but Corallinum is the first among equals. This color lasts through early summer and then the small leaves turn a nice, often blotchy crinkled green, still interesting. The tree itself is more of a bush with fine twiggy growth. zone 5

Coral Magic (Acer palmatum 'Coral Magic')

Another in the Corallinum group, the spring color is its chief attraction. It is also one of the smallest of the group–to 6′. zone 6

Coonera Pygmy (Acer palmatum 'Coonera Pygmy')

This is a round shrubby dwarf with green leaves often touched with other colors; although it is a dwarf, it is pretty vigorous, generally a winner from my point of view. Zone 6.

Chitoseyama (Acer palmatum 'Chitoseyama')

We have something of a problem here. The tree as described in Vertrees does not seem to be the one in the trade. The Chitoseyama which I have and which appears in Google Images is a greenleafed form which comes out a fetching soft pinkish and turns olive green later in the summer; it reliably puts on a heavy set of scarlet seeds which adds to the interest. The tree is vigorous for a JM and will soon get to about 12′ tall and 10’wide. zone 6