Acer palm. Sumi-nagashi

Acer palmatum ‘Sumi-nagashi’ is an elegant, upright Japanese maple valued for its rich purple-red, deeply lobed foliage that holds good colour through summer before turning brilliant crimson in autumn. Forming a small to medium-sized tree with a graceful, open habit, it makes a striking specimen for sheltered gardens and Japanese-style planting. Grow in moist but well-drained, moderately fertile, humus-rich soil, ideally neutral to acidic. Best in light shade or gentle sun with shelter from cold, drying winds to minimise leaf scorch; pruning is rarely needed beyond removing dead or crossing branches.

To help give a clear sense of scale, the stone wall shown in our photos measures approximately 265cm in height. We also use familiar garden tools as visual references: a digging fork (110cm tall) and a hand fork (30cm tall). These are included purely as size guides to help you better judge proportions when viewing the images.

Position: Sun or light shade; shelter from cold, drying winds

Rate of Growth: Moderate

Soil: Moist but well-drained, moderately fertile; preferably neutral to acidic

Hardiness: Fully hardy (RHS H6)

Plant at a Glance