| Scientific Name | Acer palmatum |
| Usage/Symbolism | Japanese maples are grown around the world for their dramatic leaf shapes, leaf colors of red and purple and the fine leaf texture. |
| Other Interesting Information | The Japanese maple is native to Japan, North and South Korea, China and parts of Mongolia and Russia. They range in size from under 2 feet for the dwarf varieties to kingsize trees of over 30 ft. They have low branches and have a rounded dome shaped crown, the leaves range from 4-12 cm long with either 5, 7, or 9 pointed finger like lobes. Acer Palmatum was named by a Swedish doctor, Carl Peter Thunberg, he gave it the name "palmatum" after the handlike shape of the leaves. |
| Research conducted by: | Adam Solimani, BSA Troop 138 |
| Citations | eol.org waysidegardens.com edis.ifas.ufi.edu japanesemaple.com |