Acer palmatum ‘Dissectum Nigrum’

The finest and most fabulous of finely-cut and feathery fronds you’ll find foraging in our Acer Emporium. A mound-forming variety with an incredibly dense and voluptuous crown of frothy leaves the colour of garnet. It reaches around 1.5 – 2 metres in height and 3 metres in spread and takes about ten years to do so.

In Autumn, which is when most of the Acers typically pull out even more stops ‘Dissectum Nigrum’ does not disappoint. Each leaf becomes ablaze with the kind of reddy-pink that would be eye watering if it weren’t so graceful. Great billowing rolling waves of them spilling onto and over everything in its path.

There was a televisual advertising vogue not long back for slow-motion cascades of unctuous creams and custards enveloping various puddings: apply that principle to a horticultural setting and picture a torrent of this raspberry-winegum foliar foam tumbling out of your borders. That’s how we’d do it, planned and planted with the utmost care and consideration for maximum impact and a delectable display. This isn’t just gardening, this is AP gardening.

Best in dappled shade out of strong winds, on an acid to neutral soil that is moist but well drained. The shallow and fibrous root system benefits from a mulch each spring and again in autumn if you can. Prune for health, if necessary, but it rarely is. Bon appetit!

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.