Acer platanoides ‘Royal Red’ (Norway Maple)

Our hardy, medium-sized and deciduous Acer platanoides ‘Royal Red’ will provide a bold presence in your garden. Large clusters of yellow flowers in spring are followed by striking red keys. Then its broad, deeply purple-red leaves appear and hold their colour throughout summer. The leaves transition into a brilliant red in autumn. ‘Royal Red’ looks particularly good when paired alongside a selection of its greener cousins, or underplanted with topiarised evergreen pillows and balls. Growing to 12m in height with a wide or conical crown, this acer can be put to dramatic effect used as an architectural specimen tree. It’s hardy enough to stand alone with its commanding dark red leaves. Red is the first colour in nature that our eyes are drawn to, which helps accentuate a tree like this. It’s the perfect choice to create a vista, where you can appreciate the strong form and arresting colour from a stately distance. Makes a great avenue tree too, for lining driveways or broad paths.

Best in full sun to partial shade. However, it will reward you for a sunny aspect with a more generous and intense autumnal display. Happy in any type of moist to well-drained soil, it is also both drought and pollutant tolerant.

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.