Acer palmatum dissectum ‘Emerald Lace’

A wonderful acer with a slightly unsettling cultivar name. ‘Emerald Lace’ might sound like a Jackie Collins novel but it certainly does not look like one. With a lightness of form and a kind of architecture that appears to float, this hardy deciduous acer responds to spring with a punchy, citrus-green flourish. Bringing forth a fountain of lime green new growth, the gossamer foliage deepens to an elegant emerald trimmed with a red edge. In autumn the leaves are ablaze with scarlet and orange. It’s always a brilliant surprise against the deeper evergreens on our nursery and in spring it’s an excellent contrast alongside the colours of the other maples in our Acer House.

Growing to 4m x 3m or so over 20 years, its gracefully arched branches give it an elegant, rounded shape. Very versatile. Perfect for a compact, mild city garden where it can be admired as a single, proud specimen. If you have a larger planting design in mind (bliss) then we’d say that this tree is equally suited to accompany other textural evergreens and contrast with more tightly clipped topiary shapes. Heavenly, we think.

Best in dappled shade out of strong winds, on an acid to neutral soil that is moist but well drained. The shallow and fibrous root system benefits from a mulch. Prune for health if necessary.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.