Japanese name: アカイタヤ（赤板屋） Scientific name:Acer pictum subsp. mayrii
[Overview]
A deciduous tree growing in the mountains, reaching 15–20 m in height.
The trunk is erect and the bark is grayish brown.
The leaves are opposite, 7–13 cm long and 10–20 cm wide, shallowly palmately 5-lobed, without serrations.
The young buds are red.
The petiole is almost as long as the leaf.
The leaves turn yellow in autumn.
The flowers are borne 10 or more 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 pale yellow.
The fruits are about 3–4 cm long and borne in pairs, each with a propeller-like wing, spreading at an acute angle.
[Uses]
The sap has also been used as a raw material for sugar.
The wood makes good-quality charcoal and is also used for construction and for making utensils.
[Cultivation]
Propagate from seed or by cuttings.
It prefers a well-drained place in full sun to partial shade.
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.
