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Family: Sapindaceae · Pot diameter: 19 cm · Height: 45–55 cm
Acer palmatum ‘Anne Irene’® turns its foliage into a complete seasonal performance, brightening an outdoor setting without waiting for flowers. In spring, the elegant five-lobed leaves open vivid lime green with a fine red flush along the margins; they mature to luminous yellow-green in summer and dress in warm yellow and orange tones during autumn. It is a refined, collectable choice that offers a different point of interest in every season and makes even a quiet corner feel carefully considered.
Its upright, bushy crown rises in clean lines and gradually broadens, while the fine leaf texture keeps the outline light. As a young plant it makes a striking focal point on a terrace or beside an entrance; over time it develops into a small tree that gives a sheltered courtyard or garden colour, movement and architectural presence.
Three distinctive qualities give ‘Anne Irene’® its bright, multi-season personality.
New five-lobed leaves open lime green, with a red flush along the serrated margins that defines their delicate geometry.
As the season advances, the foliage moves into luminous yellow-green and keeps the crown bright until the autumn transition.
Slow, upright and bushy growth gradually creates an elegant crown with presence, while retaining a visually light outline.
Why you will love it: It brings luminosity, fine texture and three distinct seasonal looks together in one elegant tree.
Plant it as a specimen small tree in a sheltered courtyard, near an entrance or seating area, or in the middle to rear layer of a cool mixed planting. The mature crown reaches approximately 3 m in height and spread, so it needs clear visual space to show its natural form.
For more than one tree allowed to keep a free natural outline, leave approximately 3 m from centre to centre. Growth remains more restrained in a large outdoor pot, but open ground is the best long-term position if the tree is to reach its full mature form.
The golden-yellow, pink and orange-red palette of ‘Anne Irene’ becomes clearer beside black bases, near-black rounded leaves and purple flower spikes. 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 a few hours of morning sun; protect from fierce midday sun and drying winds.
Water thoroughly as the surface begins to dry; maintain even moisture without waterlogging, checking pots more frequently.
Deciduous and hardy in winter cold; fresh growth needs shelter from late frost, hot wind and extreme summer heat.
An ornamental plant, not food. It is not intended for consumption; discourage children and pets from chewing plant material.
Provide bright partial shade or morning sun with afternoon protection, especially in southern Greece. A position sheltered from hot, dry and freezing winds protects the delicate spring growth.
Plant in fertile, humus-rich, slightly acidic to neutral soil that retains moisture yet drains freely. Keep the root flare at surrounding soil level and use temporary support only if the young tree is not stable.
Choose a roomy, stable outdoor pot with clear drainage holes and a structured growing medium. Check the root ball periodically and refresh part of the mix; open ground is ultimately preferable for full mature development.
Water thoroughly when the upper layer begins to dry and allow surplus water to drain away. Organic mulch helps maintain more even moisture and temperature around the shallow roots.
A light application of balanced fertiliser at the start of spring is usually sufficient. Avoid excessive nitrogen and late feeding, as they encourage tender growth that is more vulnerable to exposure.
Pruning is rarely needed. Remove only dead, damaged or awkwardly crossing shoots after leaf fall and before midwinter to reduce sap bleeding. A bare crown in winter is completely normal.
After planting, fresh growth may remain modest while the root system settles. Even moisture and a sheltered position matter more than rapid top growth.
Upright main shoots develop lateral branches and the bushy crown gradually broadens. Its natural line is most elegant when it is not clipped into a rigid shape.
With maturity it repeats its characteristic sequence each year: lime-green spring with red margins, yellow-green summer and yellow-orange autumn before leaf fall.
Indicative natural silhouette; verified mature dimensions approximately 3 m high × 3 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 it reaches approximately 3 m in height and spread over 10–20 years. Growth usually remains more restrained in a pot and depends more strongly on available root space and summer care.
‘Anne Irene’ was found in the Netherlands by Cees Krijgsman as a variegated sport on a plant of ‘Summer Gold’ at Kwekerij van Son & Koot.
The stable variegated shoot was selected and developed as a distinct cultivar, then introduced to commerce by Dick van der Maat through his specialist Japanese-maple nursery.
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.
A maple's ‘winged fruit’ is botanically a pair of one-seeded samaras. The asymmetric wing slows the fall and creates autorotation, helping the seed travel away from the crown.
Six practical answers covering light, seasonal colour, pots, mature size, pruning and winter leaf fall.
Choose a few hours of morning sun or bright partial shade. Fierce afternoon sun, especially with dry wind or a dry root zone, can stress the leaf margins.
The shade changes naturally with the season, stage of growth, light and temperature. Fresh leaves are lime green with a red flush, become yellow-green in summer and turn yellow-orange in autumn.
It can be grown for many years in a large outdoor pot with free drainage and periodic checks on the roots. Open ground is the best long-term choice if it is to develop its full mature crown.
It is slow-growing and, in a suitable position in open ground, reaches approximately 3 m in height and spread over 10–20 years. Microclimate and available root space influence the rate.
Usually not; its natural outline 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.
