Every Japanese Maple has a distinctive beauty, and 'Hogyoku' is one of the most lovely, with soft, deeply lobed light green foliage in spring and summer, turning to exceptionally rich shades of orange (often edged in golden!) for autumn. An older selection that is often difficult to find, it is ideal for today's smaller landscapes, but holds its own in larger settings as well.
Its name means "Jewel of Fall," and this is exactly the impression its rich, satrated autumn colors impart. Evocative of pumpkins and harvests and the season of "mellow fruitfulness," 'Hogyoku' makes a breathtaking specimen or container tree. Its 7-lobed leaves are hand-shaped and quite large, uncurling on pale stems in spring and casting fascinating shadows on the garden floor. The branches are shorter, closer together, and a bit more downturned than many other Japanese Maples', giving the effect of density and many-layered beauty in a more narrow, less sprawling form. Very elegant!
Just 8 feet tall after 10 years' growth, it eventually matures to 15 to 18 feet high and about 15 feet wide, with an average growth rate (once it's established in your garden) of 12 inches a year. Its well-branched, upright habit responds well to pruning, but truly needs none, for it is naturally graceful and interesting. Consider it for a special place in the landscape, one where its soothing beauty will be appreciated for many decades. Full sun in the north, partial shade farther south. Zones 5-9.
