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An early spring “spark” of golden-orange foliage with pink margins 🍁
Family: Sapindaceae · Pot diameter: 10.5 cm · Height: 20–25 cm
Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’ starts the season early and dramatically, with apricot and golden-orange tones outlined by a fine pink margin. As the leaves mature they become green, leaving the crown calm and full before autumn returns in clear orange and yellow. The change is more than colour alone; it gives the same setting a different atmosphere at every stage. Its presence remains refined at close range and clear from a distance, allowing it to act as a complete ornamental feature that renews the composition with every seasonal transition. It is a cultivar with a distinct identity, capable of turning even a restrained corner into a scene of colour, movement and collectable character.
The dense upright young habit gradually opens into an elegant small tree with a rounded presence. It is particularly effective at entrances, in sheltered courtyards and small gardens, where the early flush becomes the first major colour event of spring.
The cultivar ‘Katsura’ holds the RHS Recommended: Award of Garden Merit (2002), an internationally recognised distinction for dependable garden performance.
Three substantial qualities explain why ‘Katsura’ stands out both in close detail and in its overall presence.
Very early growth is apricot and golden-orange with pink margins, matures to green and closes the season in orange and yellow.
Small palmate leaves create a dense fine surface that keeps the rounded crown visually clear.
The crown begins compact and upright, becoming broader and more balanced with maturity.
Why you will love it: The first colour spark of spring held within a crown that matures with elegance.
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 dense upright crown that gradually becomes broadly rounded 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 verified mature spread of 2.5–4 m. In a pot choose a stable base, free drainage and a position where the roots are protected from overheating.
The apricot, pink and golden-green palette of ‘Katsura’ becomes clearer beside yellow lines, near-black leaves and orange-red 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.
Bright partial shade or morning sun, sheltering the early flush from fierce midday sun, drying wind and late frost.
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, sheltering the early flush from fierce midday sun, drying wind and late frost.
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 grow for years in a large outdoor pot with free drainage and even moisture. As it matures towards 2.5–4 m × 2.5–4 m, check available root space periodically and move to a larger pot when required.
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.
After planting, new growth may be restrained while the root system settles. Even moisture and a sheltered microclimate matter more than rapid extension.
As the main shoots branch, the plant gradually develops a dense upright crown that gradually becomes broadly rounded. Its natural line is most attractive when it is not clipped into a rigid shape.
With maturity it repeats its distinctive colour cycle each year: apricot-gold spring, green summer and orange-yellow autumn, followed by natural leaf fall.
Indicative natural silhouette; verified mature dimensions 2.5–4 m high × 2.5–4 m wide.
The crown is naturally bare in winter. Colour intensity and timing vary with light, temperature and microclimate.
What to expect after planting: In a suitable position in open ground, the mature form reaches approximately 2.5–4 m in height and 2.5–4 m in spread over 20–50 years. Growth usually remains more restrained in a pot.
‘Katsura’ is an established garden selection of Acer palmatum. Its original selector and precise selection date remain unclear. Small, palm-shaped leaves and yellow-orange spring colour with pink margins distinguish the cultivar.
In 2002, its garden performance was recognised with the RHS Award of Garden Merit.
In the horticultural classification of Japanese maples, this cultivar belongs to the Palmatum Group: its leaves usually have five to seven lobes, cut beyond halfway into the blade without the fine secondary division of the Dissectum Group.
In Acer palmatum, male and bisexual flowers occur on the same tree, an arrangement called andromonoecy. The male flowers produce pollen, while the bisexual flowers also have an ovary from which the winged fruits can develop.
Six practical answers covering light, seasonal colour, pots, mature size, pruning and winter leaf fall.
Bright partial shade or morning sun, sheltering the early flush from fierce midday sun, drying wind and late frost. A sheltered microclimate matters just as much as the number of hours of light.
The apricot spring shade and pink margin are strongest on the first flush and naturally soften as the leaves become green.
It can grow for years in a large outdoor pot with free drainage and even moisture. As it matures towards 2.5–4 m × 2.5–4 m, check available root space periodically and move to a larger pot when required.
In a suitable position in open ground it reaches approximately 2.5–4 m in height and 2.5–4 m in spread over 20–50 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. It is deciduous and sheds its leaves in autumn after completing its colour cycle. Fresh growth returns in spring.
