Japanese name: イロハモミジ（以呂波紅葉） Scientific name:Acer palmatum
[Overview]
A deciduous tree growing from lowlands to mountains up to about 1,000 m in elevation, reaching about 15 m in height.
The trunk is erect and the bark is grayish brown.
The leaves are opposite, 3.5–6 cm long and 3–7 cm wide, deeply palmately divided into 5–7 lobes, with sharp, uneven double serrations.
The tips of the leaf lobes extend long and tail-like.
The petiole is as long as the leaf or about 2/3 of its length.
Compared with Omomiji and Yamamomiji, the leaves are somewhat smaller and the serrations are coarse and uneven.
The leaves turn red in autumn.
The flowers are borne 10–20 in compound corymbs at the branch tips, with male and bisexual flowers on the same tree.
The flowers have 5 sepals and 5 petals.
The petals are yellowish green to purple, and the sepals are dark purple.
The fruits are about 1.5 cm long and borne in pairs, each with a propeller-like wing, spreading almost horizontally.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It prefers a well-drained place in partial shade to full sun.
Partial shade is better, especially while the tree is young.
In shade, the autumn color develops poorly.
Damage from longhorn beetles and aphids occurs, so kill them as soon as they are found.
[Notes]
The Japanese name is said to derive from counting the leaf lobes as "i-ro-ha-ni-ho-he-to...".
