Colour in successive chapters
Pink spring growth deepens to purple-red in summer and peaks in brilliant scarlet in autumn.
Acer 'Pixie'® 19cm — Care & Tips
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Small in stature, enormous in red 💥🍷
Family: Sapindaceae · Pot diameter: 19 cm · Height: approx. 40–45 cm
Acer palmatum ‘Pixie’ proves that intensity does not require great size. Spring opens with pink tones, summer deepens the crown to rich purple-red and autumn peaks in brilliant scarlet. Small palmate leaves and dense branching hold all that energy within a clear compact silhouette with exceptional presence. 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.
Its small upright dense crown is ideal for sheltered terraces, entrances and compact borders needing a strong colour focal point. It gives the impression of a mature red Japanese maple at a more manageable scale and retains a clear line throughout the season.
Three substantial qualities explain why ‘Pixie’ stands out both in close detail and in its overall presence.
Pink spring growth deepens to purple-red in summer and peaks in brilliant scarlet in autumn.
Small palmate leaves create a dense finely worked surface that keeps the dark colour lively.
The compact upright silhouette brings intensity and structure without demanding great width.
Why you will love it: Small in stature, enormous in red and complete as a focal feature.
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 small upright crown with dense branching 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 1.5–2.5 m. In a pot choose a stable base, free drainage and a position where the roots are protected from overheating.
The pink-red and deep purple palette of ‘Pixie’ becomes clearer beside yellow lines, cream stripes and small evergreen 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 gentle morning sun, sheltered from fierce afternoon sun and drying wind.
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 gentle morning sun, sheltered from fierce afternoon sun and drying wind.
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 1.5–2.5 m × 1.5–2.5 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 small upright crown with dense branching. 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: pink spring, purple-red summer and brilliant scarlet autumn colour, followed by natural leaf fall.
Indicative natural silhouette; verified mature dimensions 1.5–2.5 m high × 1.5–2.5 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 1.5–2.5 m in height and 1.5–2.5 m in spread over 10–20 years. Growth usually remains more restrained in a pot.
‘Pixie’ was introduced to cultivation by Buchholz & Buchholz Nursery at Gaston, Oregon. The nursery established it as a dense, smaller-growing red-leaved selection with similarities to ‘Bloodgood’.
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.
Six practical answers covering light, seasonal colour, pots, mature size, pruning and winter leaf fall.
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.
Summer purple-red varies in intensity with gentle light and temperature, while scarlet autumn colour is a natural peak.
It can grow for years in a large outdoor pot with free drainage and even moisture. As it matures towards 1.5–2.5 m × 1.5–2.5 m, check available root space periodically and move to a larger pot when required.
In a suitable position in open ground it reaches approximately 1.5–2.5 m in height and 1.5–2.5 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. It is deciduous and sheds its leaves in autumn after completing its colour cycle. Fresh growth returns in spring.