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6 Ratings

Acer 'Garnet'® premium 19cm

Normal price €38,00
What does the legal guarantee mean for plants?

The legal guarantee concerns the plant’s conformity at delivery. It is not a guarantee of survival or growth for two years. Each issue is assessed taking into account the nature of the plant, its care and the conditions in which it is kept. Your statutory rights remain unaffected.

Deciduous ornamental shrub or small tree · Sapindaceae · Vigorous broad mound with arching cascading branches

Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’®

When red becomes a mood, not merely a colour 🍷

Family: Sapindaceae · Pot diameter: 19 cm · Height: approx. 45 cm

  • Deep purple laceleaf foliage
  • Arching cascading branches
  • Broad mounded form
  • RHS Recommended: Award of Garden Merit

Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’® spreads a lacework of deep wine red, with brown-red and purple shades giving its crown a rich sense of depth. The finely cut leaves leave little openings for light, keeping the striking dark palette airy. Along the arching branches they gather into gentle folds, like fabric falling freely. In autumn the red brightens, giving the same flowing form a final warm glow before its winter pause.

Its vigorous broad arching crown is at its best on a border edge, above low planting or in a wide outdoor pot where branches can fall freely. It acts as a natural sculpture and softens stone, steps and rigid lines with dark flowing foliage.

The cultivar ‘Garnet’ holds the RHS Recommended: Award of Garden Merit (1993), an internationally recognised distinction for dependable garden performance.

What makes it special

Three substantial qualities explain why ‘Garnet’ stands out both in close detail and in its overall presence.

Colour in successive chapters

Deep brown-red and purple foliage holds its summer intensity before becoming brighter red in autumn.

Foliage that rewards a closer look

Exceptionally deep divisions turn each leaf into fine lace and give the crown continual movement.

A silhouette with design value

Arching branches form a broad mounded silhouette that flows naturally over its base.

Why you will love it: Dark, lace-like and flowing: a living cascade that completes a refined composition.

In the garden & on the balcony Placement & plant combinations A focal point in sheltered bright partial shade, with enough open space to appreciate its vigorous broad mound with arching cascading branches
Planting position

A purple cascade

Use it as a focal point near an entrance, sheltered seating area or in the middle layer of a cool mixed planting. At maturity, it develops a vigorous broad mound with arching cascading branches and benefits from a calm background and sufficient open space to retain its natural architecture.

For several plants retaining a free natural crown, allow centre-to-centre spacing close to the indicative mature spread of 1.5–2.5 m. In a pot choose a stable base, free drainage and a position where the roots are protected from overheating.

Colour & compatibility

Combinations that work

The deep garnet and purple palette of ‘Garnet’ becomes clearer beside golden arcs, yellow lines and ivory ferns. All three choices suit bright partial shade and organic soil with even moisture and good drainage, creating clean layers around the Acer’s natural form.

  • Hakonechloa macra ‘All Gold’ — creates a low luminous golden-yellow base that makes the deep-garnet cascading crown appear even deeper
  • Carex oshimensis ‘Evergold’ — keeps a fine evergreen yellow line in the foreground and lights up the deep-garnet cascading crown throughout the year
  • Athyrium niponicum var. pictum ‘Pearly White’ — the ivory centres of its fronds brighten the shaded base and give a delicate contrast to the deep-garnet cascading crown

Care at a glance

Light

Bright partial shade or gentle morning sun, sheltered from fierce afternoon sun and drying wind.

Watering

Water thoroughly when the upper layer begins to dry, maintaining even moisture without waterlogging; check pots more frequently in hot weather.

Climate & hardiness

Deciduous and hardy in winter cold; fresh growth benefits from shelter against late frost, hot dry air and extreme summer exposure.

Safety

An ornamental plant, not food. It is not intended for consumption; place it away from children or animals that tend to chew plant material.

Detailed careComplete care guideLight, microclimate, ground planting, pots, growing medium, watering, feeding, pruning and the winter cycle

Light & microclimate

Bright partial shade or gentle morning sun, sheltered from fierce afternoon sun and drying wind.

Planting in the ground

Plant in fertile, organic, acid to neutral soil that retains moisture yet drains freely. Keep the root collar level with the surrounding soil and allow the natural crown the space indicated by its mature habit.

Growing in a pot

Use a roomy, stable outdoor pot with unobstructed drainage holes and a structured growing medium that resists compaction. It can grow for years in a large outdoor pot with free drainage and even moisture. As it matures towards 2.5–4 m × 1.5–2.5 m, check available root space periodically and move to a larger pot when required.

Watering & cool roots

Water thoroughly when the upper layer begins to dry, maintaining even moisture without waterlogging; check pots more frequently in hot weather. An organic mulch helps buffer sudden changes in moisture and temperature.

Feeding & clean foliage

A light application of balanced fertiliser in early spring is usually sufficient. Avoid excessive nitrogen and late feeding, which encourage soft new growth.

Pruning & the winter cycle

Pruning is rarely necessary. Remove only dead, damaged or awkwardly crossing branches after leaf fall and before midwinter. A bare crown in winter is entirely normal.

Development over timeFrom a young Acer to broad cascading crown with purple laceleaf textureCareful establishment gradually gives way to characteristic natural branching and increasingly rich seasonal changes.

First establishment

After planting, new growth may be restrained while the root system settles. Even moisture and a sheltered microclimate matter more than rapid extension.

The natural habit becomes clear

As the main shoots branch, the plant gradually develops a vigorous broad mound with arching cascading branches. Its natural line is most attractive when it is not clipped into a rigid shape.

A mature seasonal rhythm

With maturity it repeats its distinctive colour cycle each year: deep brown-red and purple from spring through summer and brighter red in autumn, followed by natural leaf fall.

Mature form & dimensions

Maturity 10–20 years
Height 2.5–4 mSpread 1.5–2.5 mVigorous broad mound with arching cascading branches
Natural form — Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’The framework spreads broadly, with finer branch tips curving downwards.2.5–4 m1.5–2.5 m

The framework spreads broadly, with finer branch tips curving downwards.

Form through time

Deciduous
Brown-red laceleaf crown — Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’The framework spreads broadly, with finer branch tips curving downwards.Spring → summerBrown-red laceleaf crown
Winter framework — Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’After natural leaf fall, the same trunk and branched stems remain.WinterThe same branching after leaf fall

The leaves fall naturally in autumn. Winter reveals the woody framework that will support new growth the following spring.

What to expect after planting: In a suitable position in open ground, the mature form reaches approximately 2.5–4 m in height and 1.5–2.5 m in spread over 10–20 years. Growth usually remains more restrained in a pot.

History & origin Cultivar origin From a Dutch seedling to the red of a gemstone

The story of ‘Garnet’ begins in 1959 in Boskoop, the Netherlands. There, the Guldemond brothers singled out a seedling from a batch of Italian rootstocks, starting the journey of a new cultivar with deeply red, finely cut foliage.

Its colour supplied its name: “Garnet Red” in the Royal Horticultural Society colour chart captured the plant’s distinctive tone. From the outset, ‘Garnet’ was associated with the red of the gemstone.

In 1993 the cultivar received the Award of Garden Merit, adding recognition of its garden performance to its Dutch history.

Greenleaf for Plant NerdsScience nobody asked forBotanical details for anyone curious about what lies behind the plant’s appearance

Dissectum horticultural group

In the Dissectum Group, the main lobes reach almost to the leaf base and divide again into finely toothed segments; this secondary division creates the characteristic lace-like texture.

Leaves opposite each other

The leaves of ‘Garnet’ arise in opposite pairs: two stalks start at the same node on opposing sides of a shoot. Beneath the crown’s lace-like surface, this regular arrangement remains visible if you follow a slender branch.

Frequently asked questions

Six practical answers covering light, seasonal colour, pots, mature size, pruning and winter leaf fall.

01How much sun will it tolerate in Greece?

Bright partial shade or gentle morning sun, sheltered from fierce afternoon sun and drying wind. A sheltered microclimate matters just as much as the number of hours of light.

02When does the crown’s red colour brighten?

Deep purple tones vary with light and temperature, while brighter autumn red is the cultivar’s natural seasonal peak.

03Can it remain in a pot?

It can grow for years in a large outdoor pot with free drainage and even moisture. As it matures towards 2.5–4 m × 1.5–2.5 m, check available root space periodically and move to a larger pot when required.

04How large does it become and how quickly?

In a suitable position in open ground it reaches approximately 2.5–4 m in height and 1.5–2.5 m in spread over 10–20 years. Microclimate and available root space influence the rate.

05Does it need pruning to hold its shape?

Usually not; its natural architecture is central to its beauty. If cleaning is needed, work after leaf fall and before midwinter, removing only what is necessary.

06Is it normal for the tree to be bare in winter?

Yes. It is deciduous and sheds its leaves in autumn after completing its colour cycle. Fresh growth returns in spring.

© Original plant description by Greenleaf Garden Center. All rights reserved. This text is original material. Copying is prohibited under Greek Law 2121/1993.

Every living Acer palmatum ‘Garnet’® develops its own curves and branch spread. The brown-red to purple foliage varies with light and season; winter leaf fall reveals the bare branching.