There are several kinds of Japanese Maples. This article will introduce the Aka Shigitatsu Sawa, the Atropurpureum, the Bloodgood and the Dissectum.

The Aka Shigitatsu Sawa is a reticulated cultivar which means it has prominent veins. The leaves have dark green veins and a pale green ground color with pink and red tones. When the leaves open they show dark veins on a yellow-green background. The color is held well into summer when green tones appear more. More so than other Japanese maples, The Aka Shigitatsu Sawa benefits from strong pruning in spring and fall to shape the tree, as well as remove any dead branches.

Atropurpureum is a hardy shrub ideal for containers. It has finely cut five-fingered leaves. It is probably the single most popular upright purple-leafed Japanese maple. Its shade of red turns more bright in Autumn. This maple can grow some twentyfeet tall and has deeply cut maple leaves. This Japanese Maple requires heavy watering during the growing season. Its area should be open and fast draining. It blooms for about 3 weeks from late spring to early summer.

The Bloodgood Japanese Maple is an improved variety of the Atropurpureum. It is one of the finest exquisite small trees. It has a wonderful texture, resilient form, breathtaking foliage, and bright fall color. It is also brilliant in the spring with dark bronze and red leaves changing to a crimson-orange in the fall. The Bloodgood is believed to have come over from The Netherlands to Nurseries in New York. Like most Japanese maples, it prefers well drained, moist, slightly acidic soils with morning sun and afternoon shade. It also excels in a large container on a patio or deck and is a must-have for an Oriental style garden.

The dissectum cultivar has a deep-red leaf color through mid-summer before it fades. The leaves then turn brilliant red in the fall. Dissectum Japanese Maples are among the most familiar types and many people wrongly believe that they are the only kind. It tolerates shade better than the purple leafed varieties.

There are literally dozens of Japanese Maple varieties. Wikipedia is a great starting place for learning more about them.