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Golden full moon maple

Acer shirasawanum ‘Aureum’

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If your shade garden needs a focal point, consider this small, rounded Japanese maple, with its lime-to-chartreuse-tinged golden leaves. In fall, its leaves turn orange and red, just like those of a sugar maple. This variety, like other small Japanese maples, needs shade and protection from sun and drying winds to keep the foliage from curling and turning brown at the edges. —Michael Ruggiero, Fine Gardening #127

Noteworthy CharacteristicsGood fall color

CareMoist, well-drained soil

PropagationFrom cuttings

ProblemsScale insects, caterpillars, aphids, leaf spot, root rot

  • Genus : Acer
  • Plant Height : 10 to 15 feet
  • Plant Width : 10 to 15 feet
  • Zones : 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
  • Plant Seasonal Interest : Fall Interest
  • Light : Full Sun to Partial Shade
  • Foliage Color : Purple/Burgundy
  • Characteristics : Showy Fall Foliage, Showy Foliage
  • Growth Rate : Slow
  • Plant Type : Trees

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