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Trees

Acer palmatum 'Miss Piggy'

Japnese maple 'Miss Piggy'

A uniquely shaped shrubby tree to about 3m tall. The stems and branches are fastigiate and this flattened and thicken growth gives a compacted habit with the leaves growing in an irregular arrangement. The green, palmate leaves open in spring with a bright pink petiole, with a secondary flush of salmon pink on new growth. As the leaves mature they develop a hint of purple, then in autumn there is a wonderful display of orange to red on this uniquely shaped acer

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Ultimate height

2.5–4 metres

Time to ultimate height

20–50 years

Ultimate spread

1.5–2.5 metres

Clay

Loam

Sand

Moisture

Moist but well–drained

pH

Acid, Neutral

	Stem	Flower	Foliage	Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Full sun
Partial shade

Aspect

East–facing or North–facing or West–facing

Exposure

Sheltered

Hardiness
Hardiness ratings
All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets
H1a: under glass all year (>15C)
H1b: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
H1c: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)

Botanical details

Family: Sapindaceae
Native to GB / Ireland: No
Foliage: Deciduous
Habit: Bushy
Genus: Acer can be deciduous trees or large shrubs with paired, often palmately-lobed leaves and small flowers followed by characteristic winged fruits. Many have fine autumn colour, and some have ornamental stems
Name status: Unresolved

How to grow

Cultivation

Grow in moisture-retentive, well-drained soil in a sheltered position. Leaf colour is best in partial shade, although full sun can be tolerated if soil is reliably moist. Acer leaf scorch can be caused by lack of soil moisture or excessive exposure. Suits container cultivation but attention to watering is needed in dry spells during the growing season. Suits bonsai cultivation. See Japanese maple cultivation

Propagation

Propagate by layering in autumn, grafting in late winter or softwood cuttings

Suggested planting locations and garden types

City and courtyard gardens
Cottage and informal garden
Patio and container plants
Rock garden
Flower borders and beds

Pruning

Pruning group 1 from late autumn to midwinter only

Pests

May be susceptible to acer gall mite, aphids, caterpillars and horse chestnut scale

Diseases

May be susceptible to verticillium wilt, acer leaf scorch and honey fungus

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