Description
Acer palmatum ‘Kagiri nishiki’ is one of the oldest Japanese cultivars, dating back to somewhere around the end of the 17th century. Its general form is upright, perhaps vase-shaped, which makes it an ideal candidate for a spot in the garden where width may be an issue. The leaves have a base colour of blue-green and are margined with creamy-white, which can be blushed with rose-pink in spring. Autumn colouring is subtle, taking on pinks and roses before the leaves fall.
The leaf is fairly small, lightly toothed and prone to take on sickle-shapes when there is a lot of variegation present, which certainly adds to the foliage interest. Position in some shade to enjoy the best leaf quality. Happy in a pot or in the ground (although as with all plants, it will always do better in the ground!). Similar to there more recent Acer palmatum ‘Butterfly’ but easily differentiated by the fact that the latter’s variegation can occupy the whole leaf as opposed to solely the margins, as in ‘Kagiri nishiki’.