Baby Lace Japanese Maple

acer palmatum 'Baby Lace'

Growzone: 5 - 9

In spring the color of Japanese Maple Baby Lace is astounding, with pink, red and green all mixed together but as the new growth hardens off the color quickly becomes solid light green. Fall color is a nice mix of yellows, oranges, and reds.

Size	Price	Quantity
1 Gal	$54.95
2 Gal. 2.5 to 3 feet	$79.95

Purchase Recommended Add-ons

Espoma Bio-Tone Plus Starter Plus $14.95

Espoma Tree-Tone Fertilizer $14.95

Full Description

Baby Lace Japanese Maple was the first witches broom discovered on a dissectum type Japanese Maple. The leaves are small, delicate and just about as finely dissected as Red Filigree Lace Japanese Maple only much more irregular in shape. In spring the color is astounding, with pink, red and green all mixed together but as the new growth hardens off the color quickly becomes a solid light green. Fall color is a nice mix of yellows, oranges and reds. Although Japanese Maple Baby Lace is a highly sought after cultivar, it is hard to find in the trade due to the fact that it is rather slow growing and can be difficult to propagate.

Specifications

Growing Zone:	5 - 9
Mature Height:	5
Mature Width:	4 to 5 feet
Classification:	Small Tree
Sunlight:	Part to full sun
Habit:	Deciduous, densely branched
Foliage:	reddish green to cream variegated
Soil Condition :	Any well drained soil
Water Requirements:	Water the plant well until established
Uses:	Extremely attractive when used as a focal point or a specimen planting, very slow growing

Planting Info FAQs

How do I properly water my Baby Lace Japanese Maple?

What fertilizer should I use?

Feeding your plants is probably the single most forgotten part of growing healthy long lasting plants. When first planting we recommend Bio-tone by espoma. Maintaining a constant low level of fertility will keep your trees healthy throughout the year. Applying high levels of nitrogen (N) is not recommended. Avoid using high Nitrogen lawn fertilizer on Japanese maples. Japanese maples look best and develop thicker stems when allowed to grow at a slower speed. Applying high amounts of nitrogen will cause excessively fast growth that will weaken the plant. Weak branches can lead to damage if you are located where icing during winter is a problem. Fertilizing your Baby Lace Japanese Maple with the proper type of fertilizer should be done either in late winter while the ground is still cold (frozen?), or after the last freeze in spring. We recommend using a slow or controlled release type fertilizer. When using a slow-release pellet-type fertilizer, it is best to bore holes about 6 inches deep into the soil about half way between the main trunk and the drip line of the branches. IMPORTANT: Scattering slow-release fertilizer on the top of the soil does not allow the fertilizer to maintain a constant moisture level inside the pellet, resulting in sporadic and possibly untimely releases. Bore several holes around the tree and divide the proper amount of fertilizer recommended by the manufacturer by the number of holes. Drop the fertilizer into the holes and fill the remainder of the holes with soil. Water around the tree and now the tree is fertilized for an entire year. As the tree grows, the amount of fertilizer will need to be increased. Tree fertilizer spikes also work well and are easy to use. Follow recommended rates based on the tree size. Important Note: we only recommend using liquid type fertilizer like Miracle-Gro® on Japanese maples during the first summer, and only to help establish the tree. Once you see good growth you can stop liquid feeding. Do not liquid feed in late fall or early spring. Liquid fertilizers encourage Japanese maples to grow instantly, and this is not recommended as early freezes in fall and late freezes in spring will cause damage or kill your tree. We recommend Espoma Tree-tone as a balanced organic fertilizer.

How do I Mulch a Baby Lace Japanese Maple?

How do I Prune my Baby Lace Japanese Maple?

apanese maples such as Baby Lace Japanese Maple are not especially particular as to when they are pruned; however, spring is generally not a good time as new growth and sap are beginning to develop. Winter and summer are commonly accepted as good times to prune. The winter is probably the best time as it is easy to see the branches and growing structure of the tree. Summer, on the other hand, allows for a more accurate gauge of which branches need to be thinned. It is important to be careful of the temperature when pruning in the summer, however. Removing thicker areas of foliage can reveal previously shaded areas and invite scalding by the sun. Pruning the upright Japanese maple involves four main steps. The first is to prune off lower limbs that crowd other low-growing shrubs or possibly impede a walkway. Next, prune off dead wood — that is, any dead twigs or brittle branches that no longer grow foliage. The third step is to separate the tree into layers. Remove branches that intrude into the layers above and below them. The final step is to evenly thin the branches. Remove some small lateral branches and keep others for an overall thinned out look. The ideal appearance is to have fewer branches that fill all the empty spaces. Smaller Japanese maples such as Japanese Maple Baby Lace are slightly more complicated than their upright cousins. Gardeners often fall into two camps with these trees. The first camp refuses to prune the trees at all, resulting in a great ball of foliage. Gardeners belonging to the second group tend to prune too much and end up with very little. The truth falls somewhere in between. It is important to preserve this tree’s natural harmony and facilitate a shell-like growth. Start with pruning dead wood and cutting back any dragging or low branches. Avoid pruning thicker branches that are more than half the diameter of the trunk. Remove branches that do not conform to the aesthetic appearance of the tree. Branches that do not curve or divide can be pruned. As with the upright trees, separate the layers and remove branches that do not naturally follow the pattern. Thin the lace leaf trees similarly to the upright trees. The final step is to create a veiled top layer; a curtain that shields the rest of the foliage but has a uniform look is ideal. It is best to prune Japanese Maple Baby Lace in the late spring or early summer when temperatures are below 80 degrees Fahrenheit.

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Additional Information

Acer palmatum has been cultivated in Japan for centuries and in temperate areas around the world since the 1800s. The first specimen of the tree reached England in 1820. When Swedish doctor-botanist Carl Peter Thunberg traveled in Japan late in the eighteenth century, he secreted out drawings of a small tree that would eventually become synonymous with the high art of oriental gardens. He gave it the species name palmatum after the hand-like shape of its leaves, similar to the centuries-old Japanese names kaede and momiji, references to the 'hands' of frogs and babies, respectively. For centuries Japanese horticulturalists have developed cultivars from maples found in Japan and nearby Korea and China. They are a popular choice for bonsai enthusiasts and have long been a subject in art. Numerous cultivars are currently available commercially and are a popular item at garden centers and other retail stores in Europe and North America. Red-leafed cultivars are the most popular, followed by cascading green shrubs with deeply dissected leaves. Preparations from the branches and leaves are used as a treatment in traditional Chinese medicine.