Acer palmatum 'Sherwood Flame'

Sherwood Flame Japanese Maple

Classification: Upright Japanese maple
Height: 12 to 16 feet
Width: 8 to 12 feet
Flower color: Reddish purple
Foliage color: Purple-red to burgundy, turning brilliant red in fall
Bloom time: Mid spring
Light: Full sun to partial shade
Water: Moderate
Growing zone: USDA zones 5 to 8

About this plant

Acer palmatum 'Sherwood Flame' is an upright Japanese maple valued for richly colored foliage throughout the growing season. Deeply divided, serrated leaves emerge purple-red in spring, becoming a deeper red to burgundy as they mature and holding their color well through summer. Small reddish-purple flowers appear in spring, followed by winged samaras that add subtle seasonal interest. In autumn, the foliage intensifies to brilliant shades of red before falling, revealing the tree's graceful branching structure.

'Sherwood Flame' was selected by Will Curtis of Sherwood, Oregon, from a seedling of Acer palmatum 'Burgundy Lace'. It develops into a moderately sized, upright tree that gradually broadens with age. Its strong foliage color and refined form make it an excellent specimen for courtyards, entry gardens, mixed borders, or woodland-edge plantings, where it can provide structure without the scale of a large shade tree.

Works well in

Woodland Gardens · Courtyard Gardens · Foundation Plantings · Japanese Gardens · Mixed Borders

Companion plants

Rhododendron · Pieris · Oakleaf hydrangea · Hellebore · Japanese forest grass · Epimedium · Foamflower

Design tip

Give 'Sherwood Flame' a position where its silhouette can be appreciated from several directions. A quieter layer of green and gold foliage around its base allows the red canopy to remain the focal point while creating contrast through the entire growing season.