Foliage like green lace
Deep divisions separate the leaves into very fine lobes, giving the crown an exceptionally light, feathery texture.
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Lacy elegance that ripples in the slightest breeze 🪶
Family: Sapindaceae · Pot diameter: 19 cm · Height: approx. 50–60 cm
Acer palmatum ‘Emerald Lace’® spreads finely cut green leaves across flexible branches with arching tips. Each lobe is divided again into slender segments, admitting small glimpses of light through the foliage. This gives the crown movement and transparency even as it fills out. Fresh green growth deepens through summer, then changes to red with warm orange accents in autumn before the bare branch structure becomes visible.
Its vigorous mound-forming habit softens hard lines and brings movement to sheltered courtyards, borders and large outdoor pots. It is equally compelling as a low focal point or as a light visual bridge between stone, timber and foliage with a more solid texture.
The cultivar ‘Emerald Lace’ holds the RHS Award of Garden Merit (2012), an internationally recognised distinction for dependable garden performance.
‘Emerald Lace’ stands out through three genuinely different qualities, from the detail of each leaf to its mature outline.
Deep divisions separate the leaves into very fine lobes, giving the crown an exceptionally light, feathery texture.
Branches spread and arch naturally, forming a mounded outline that appears to flow over its base.
Clear green moves into red, orange and deeper burgundy shades before natural leaf fall.
Why you will love it: It brings together the delicacy of lace, the presence of a generous mature crown and a spectacular autumn transformation.
Allow the arching tips to spread above low perennials or beside stone. Keep the front open so taller plants do not conceal the movement of the fine branches.
The rounded dark leaves of Heuchera make the fine green lace easier to appreciate. Golden grass echoes the arching branches, while the coppery fern adds warm tones. Keep the crown’s tips clear, in bright partial shade and soil that retains moisture without waterlogging.
Bright partial shade or morning sun; protect the exceptionally fine foliage from fierce afternoon sun and drying winds.
Water thoroughly when the upper layer begins to dry, maintaining even moisture without waterlogging; check pots more frequently in hot weather.
Deciduous and hardy in winter cold; fresh growth benefits from shelter against late frost, hot dry air and extreme summer exposure.
An ornamental plant, not food. It is not intended for consumption; place it away from children or animals that tend to chew plant material.
Bright partial shade or morning sun; protect the exceptionally fine foliage from fierce afternoon sun and drying winds.
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.
Use a roomy, stable outdoor pot with unobstructed drainage holes and a structured growing medium that resists compaction. It can live for many years in a large, broad outdoor pot. Because it is vigorous and mound-forming, it needs periodic root checks and ample space around the crown.
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.
A light application of balanced fertiliser in early spring is usually sufficient. Avoid excessive nitrogen and late feeding, which encourage soft new growth.
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. During hard frost, protect the pot as well, as roots in pots are more exposed to cold than roots in the ground.
Early new shoots may temporarily extend beyond the rest of the outline. Finely cut leaves already show the cultivar’s character while its branching is still developing.
As lateral branches lengthen, flexible tips arch and the foliage spreads in loose layers. The outline remains more fluid than a strictly spherical crown.
With maturity it repeats its distinctive colour cycle each year: bright green from spring through summer and red-orange in autumn, followed by natural leaf fall.
Main branches rise before arching outwards. Finely divided leaves hang along their slender tips; this is not a solid, clipped globe.
Finely cut foliage falls after turning red in autumn. The arching tips remain woody and visible; the next flush clothes this framework again.
Mature scale: 2.5–4 m high and 2.5–4 m wide. Eventual growth depends on soil, microclimate and available space.
‘Emerald Lace’ began as a chance seedling grown by David Sabo in North Carolina, USA. Its exceptionally finely divided green foliage and flexible branches distinguished the selection.
Del Loucks helped introduce it to the nursery trade. Sabo’s selection became established as a distinctive green cultivar in the Dissectum Group, combining vigorous growth with red autumn colour.
In the Dissectum Group, the main lobes are not merely narrow: they are further divided into fine, toothed segments. The entire lacy outline still belongs to one leaf rather than several independent leaflets.
Six practical answers covering light, seasonal colour, pots, mature size, pruning and winter leaf fall.
Bright partial shade or morning sun; protect the exceptionally fine foliage from fierce afternoon sun and drying winds. A sheltered microclimate matters just as much as the number of hours of light.
The natural transition begins in bright green and peaks in red and orange during autumn. Timing and intensity vary with light, temperature and microclimate.
It can live for many years in a large, broad outdoor pot. Because it is vigorous and mound-forming, it needs periodic root checks and ample space around the crown.
In a suitable position in open ground it reaches approximately 2.5–4 m in height and 2.5–4 m in spread over 10–20 years. Microclimate and available root space influence the rate.
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.
Yes. All the finely divided foliage falls after turning red in autumn. The woody arching tips remain and should not be removed merely because they are bare.