Acer japonicum

Hauchiwa Maple (Scientific name: Acer japonicum) is a deciduous broadleaf small tree, endemic to Japan, belonging to the family Sapindaceae and genus Acer.
Because of the beauty of its leaves, flowers, autumn foliage, and tree form, it is often planted as a garden tree or park tree.

Common name: Hauchiwa Maple (羽団扇楓)
Scientific name: Acer japonicum
Synonyms: Meigetsu Maple (名月楓), Fullmoon Maple,
Classification / Distribution: Kingdom Plantae, Angiosperms, Eudicots, Order Sapindales, Family Sapindaceae, Genus Acer, Species A. japonicum
Origin: Endemic to Japan. Distribution: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku. Habitat: forests in valleys and slopes of low to subalpine mountains.
Life form: Shade-tolerant deciduous small tree
Tree height: 5–10 m (up to 15 m)
Trunk diameter: up to 40 cm
Bark color: gray
Leaf color: green → yellow → red (October–November)
Petiole: short
Leaf shape: palmate, shallowly to moderately divided into 9–11 lobes
Leaf blade size: length 7–15 cm, width 5–12 cm
Leaf margin: serrated with double teeth
Young leaves: hairy → hairless (in mature leaves)
Leaf arrangement: opposite
Sexuality: monoecious (male and female flowers on the same tree)
Flowering season: April–May
Inflorescence: corymb
Flower color: reddish-purple
Flower size: approx. 1 cm
Fruiting season: October
Fruit type: samara
Fruit structure: composed of two winged nutlets
Uses: Garden tree (Japanese and Western styles), park tree, ornamental varieties, timber

Origin of the Name

Flower Language

■Related page
Hauchiwa Maple (Acer japonicum)