Trees & woodland lore · Western North Carolina field companion
Emperor I Japanese maple
Acer palmatum
Emperor I Japanese maple leaves; cultivar named by the Wikimedia Commons contributor.◐ Part sun or part shadePhoto by David J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.
Later leaf-out can reduce frost damage; shelter from hot afternoon sun and wind.
Usually five to seven pointed lobes spread like fingers. Teeth line the edges; red leaf color is a cultivar trait, not proof of identity.
More growing details
Read the bark
Young bark is relatively smooth, becoming more textured with age.
Fruit & seed
Two winged seeds form the familiar maple pair; fruit helps confirm the genus.
Winter character
Paired buds and fine branching are useful after the leaves fall.
Origin & place
An introduced garden species or horticultural hybrid; study it as part of WNC landscapes rather than assume it belongs to the native mountain flora.
Compare with Other Japanese maple cultivars
Bloodgood and Emperor I overlap greatly; verify the cultivar from a reliable nursery label or planting record.
WNC Notes
Later leaf-out can reduce frost damage; shelter from hot afternoon sun and wind.
Sun Exposure
Morning sun–part shade
MATURE HEIGHT (FT)
15–20
MATURE WIDTH (FT)
15–20
BLOOM SEASON
Spring
BLOOM COLOR
Red inconspicuous
FALL / WINTER COLOR
Crimson
Wet-Soil Tolerance
Moderate
Drought Tolerance
Low
LOOK CLOSELY
Two views, a closer look.
Place two photographs beside one another. Compare the overall plant with leaves, flowers, or bark when those views are available. Captions identify what each photograph actually shows. Images are not at the same scale; species references may show different cultivars.
Emperor I Japanese maple leaves; cultivar named by the Wikimedia Commons contributor.◐ Part sun or part shadePhoto by David J. Stang ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.Red fall leaves and red samaras (Cabarrus County, NC). Taxon reference; photograph alone does not establish a named cultivar.◐ Part sun or part shadeHope Duckworth ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; no diagnostic content altered.Red fall leaves and red samaras (Cabarrus County, NC) — species reference; cultivar identity not inferred.◐ Part sun or part shadeHope Duckworth ↗ · CC BY 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; full original composition retained.Japanese maple bark — species reference; named cultivar identity not inferred.◐ Part sun or part shadePumpkinSky ↗ · CC BY-SA 4.0Photo contextResized and converted to WebP; original composition retained.
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