Plant Guide
Oshio Beni Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum 'Oshio Beni'
Height: 20 feet
Spread: 20 feet
Sunlight:
Hardiness Zone: 5b
Description:
This cultivar's name means 'Great Red Tide' and it delivers with striking red foliage emerging in spring, fading to a bronze green during summer, but then changing to a brilliant crimson in fall; perfect for the periphery of borders or rock gardens
Ornamental Features
Oshio Beni Japanese Maple is primarily valued in the landscape for its cascading habit of growth. It features subtle corymbs of burgundy flowers rising above the foliage in mid spring before the leaves. It has attractive burgundy deciduous foliage which emerges red in spring. The lobed palmate leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of orange and crimson in the fall. The rough gray bark and red branches add an interesting dimension to the landscape.
Landscape Attributes
Oshio Beni Japanese Maple is an open deciduous tree with a shapely form and gracefully arching branches. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
This is a relatively low maintenance tree, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.
Oshio Beni Japanese Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;
- Accent
- Shade
- Mass Planting
Planting & Growing
Oshio Beni Japanese Maple will grow to be about 20 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 20 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.
This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. You may want to keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone in winter to protect it in exposed locations or colder microclimates. This is a selected variety of a species not originally from North America.