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Acer Trees
Everyone loves an acer! With their distinctive five or seven pointed leaves and their graceful, spreading form, they’re some of the most recognisable trees in the landscape. Naturally well shaped and slow growing, they have some of the brightest foliage and best autumn colour around and are surprisingly easy to grow. Our tree expert John has put together this collection of the best performing acers for every size of garden (or pot). They’re slowly grown and nurtured in the South Downs, professionally pruned for a strong and healthy start, then sent fresh from the field to your patio.
Which acer tree is best for your garden?
Each acer has something uniquely beautiful about it. Red-leaved acers like Red Emperor are the most popular, and can really bring a burst of colour to your garden - especially when they’re backlit by the late afternoon sun. Acer palmatum Fireglow provides a kaleidoscope of colour, with leaves emerging red-pink, maturing to deep green with a red blush and turning wine-red in autumn. For autumn colour with a full spectrum of oranges, reds and yellows, we think Acer palmatum Dissectum is the best small acer you can get, while Canadian Maple Acer rubrum is our pick for larger gardens. To find your perfect acer, read about our top picks for every garden.
What grows well with acers?
Acers are a must have in Japanese garden schemes. Plant them with cherry blossoms and katsura to continue the theme (they look even more striking when reflected in a traditional pond). Other small trees that pair well with acers are flowering dogwoods and Flamingo willows - all of these can be grown in small gardens and patio pots.
Growers' tips
For the best leaf colour, plant your acer in a sheltered position with plenty of morning sun and a little light shade in the afternoon. Acer trees thrive in any fertile, well drained soil and don’t take a lot of pruning - just remove any damaged or diseased branches when the tree is in leaf or just after leaf fall. To grow an acer in a pot, plant it in a container that drains well and is at least twice the size of the root ball or the container your tree arrived in, repotting it every few years as necessary. Trees grown in pots will need more regular feeding and watering than those in the ground. Read our acer care guide for more expert advice.
Jewel-toned Acer with a graceful weeping habit
- Garnet orange leaves turn ruby red in autumn
- An upright compact Acer that grows to 2.5m tall
- Ideal for small gardens or containers
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
The Purple One
- Rich purple leaves turning brilliant red in autumn
- Makes the ideal focal point to your garden all year round
- Grows to max 7.5 x 6m
- Easy to grow and care for
Eyecatching snake print bark
- Green and silvery-white striated bark
- Dark green leaves turn orange in autumn
- Yellow-green flowers in summer
- Compact size for smaller spaces
A riot of colour
- Moss green and cream variegated leaves
- Foliage takes on warm orange and red hues in autumn
- Orange-red flowers in spring
- Grows to 12 x 10m
Colour changing, compact Acer
- Yellow orange leaves with a pink margin, maturing to green
- Warm orange and yellow tones in autumn
- Grows to a neat and compact 3 x 3.5m
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
Chinese acer with papery, cinammon bark
- Richly coloured, peeling bark
- Veined green leaves turn red in autumn
- Attractive landscape tree
- RHS Award of Garden Merit
Probably the best large red-leaved acer out there
- Deep purple-crimson foliage all summer long
- Unbeatable displays of warm autumn colour
- Perfect as a feature tree in medium to large gardens
- Fast growth makes it a great choice for screening
This fiery tree puts on a hot red display in autumn
- Lush green, glossy leaves turn to bright reds and yellows
- Spectacular scarlet winged fruits cover the tree in autumn
- An attractive and compact tree for small to medium gardens
- Easy to maintain and tolerant of low temperatures
Famous for its stunning red foliage
- Small red flowers in spring
- Serrated, wine red leaves
- Excellent choice for small gardens
- Bright red autumnal display
The low growing acer that looks fantastic anywhere
- Fern green finely dissected leaves
- Stunning autumn tones of red, orange and yellow
- Perfect for pots, patios and smaller gardens
- Easy to grow and care for
Smart specimen tree with spectacular autumn colour
- Bright green foliage turns to a dazzling scarlet in autumn
- Pyramidal crown gives an eyecatching shape
- Grows to 10-13m unless pruned
- Plant as a feature tree in a lawn, border or streetside
One of the hottest autumn displays
- Lobed maple leaves turn from red-tinged to dark green before putting on their autumn colour
- Clusters of little red flowers followed by winged fruits
- Dazzling displays of flame-red autumn foliage
- Ideal for avenue planting or as a feature in a large lawn
Watch the colours change with the seasons
- Leaves turn from red-purple to grey-green with pink and cream variegation
- Striking shades of red in autumn
- Grows to a compact 5 x 4m
- An ideal focal point for small to medium gardens
An Acer for all seasons!
- Prized for its bright coral-red bark
- Pinkish yellow foliage maturing to green, then yellow in autumn
- Grows to max 7.5m with an upright, vase-shaped habit
- RHS Award of Garden Merit winner
Well-shaped specimen tree with dazzling autumn colour
- Red-tinted foliage turns dark green as it matures
- Tiny red flowers in spring, followed by red fruits
- Brilliant autumn display of warm reds and yellows
- Plant as a feature tree in a large garden
A glowing palette of colourful foliage
- Pink-red leaves that that change to deep green flushed with purple
- Bright magenta purple tones brighten the autumn garden
- Grows to a compact 4 x 4m, ideal for small gardens or containers
- Easy to grow and care for
A compact weeping Acer
- A low growing weeping tree with delicate, bright green foliage
- Leaves turn red, orange and yellow in autumn
- Low maintenance and suitable for small gardens
- Can be grown in containers
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