Growth Rate
Slow
Moderate
Fast
Slow
Maple Ridge reports very slow growth in the South, although moderate growth is reported in some climates.
PUNGO MAPLES
Virginia Beach Japanese Maple Nursery
Red Dragon
Acer palmatum
● In Stock
🔴 Red Summer
🌱 Dwarf
🌿 Weeping
Cultivar Description & Characteristics
The Red Dragon Japanese Maple is a highly hardy, weeping tree prized for keeping its deep burgundy-maroon leaf color even through intense summer heat. Its beautifully dissected lace-leaves feature unique, prominent bottom lobes that creatively mimic the look of sharp dragon horns. This slow-growing cultivar maintains a compact shape, reaching a modest height of only four to five feet after ten years of growth. It thrives equally well in sun or shade, making it a perfect, vibrant accent choice for either a yard or a patio container.
10-Yr Height
5
10-Yr Width
6
Seasonal Foliage Spectrum
Spring: Scarlet
Summer: Burgundy
Fall: Crimson
Sun Tolerance Ratings
Morning Sun
9 / 10
Afternoon Sun
4 / 10
☀️ Morning Sun Guidance:
Morning sun is gentle, helps dry off dew to prevent fungal issues, and provides the necessary light to keep its burgundy and red foliage vibrant without stressing the plant.
☀️ Afternoon Sun Guidance:
Intense afternoon sun can cause leaf scorch and dry out the delicate laceleaf foliage. While it handles sun better than many other weeping varieties, it generally needs protection or afternoon shade.
Image highlights cultivar traits and is not exact photo of available stock. Image is property of Pungo Maples, unauthorized use prohibited.
Get to know your maple
Growth Habit & Size
Spreading · Weeping · Dwarf
Dwarf, low-spreading weeping form; sometimes nearly prostrate and less strongly pendulous than some laceleaf cultivars.
What do these growth habit terms mean?
More than one term can apply. Branch direction, crown shape and size describe different characteristics, and the outline can change as a tree matures.
- Upright
- Main stems and branches emphasize upward growth. An upright tree can still develop a broad canopy.
- Spreading
- Branches extend outward to form a broad canopy. The tree does not have to be wider than it is tall.
- Weeping
- Branches or branchlets arch or hang downward. The tree can still have an upright trunk.
- Rounded
- The crown has a rounded outline. This describes the overall shape rather than the direction of each branch.
- Dwarf
- A cultivar with a smaller natural stature than typical forms of its species. Dwarf describes size, not branch direction or a fixed height limit; it does not automatically mean slow growth.
For example: Bloodgood can grow upright while developing a broad, rounded canopy with spreading branches.
Learn more: NC State plant forms · Bloodgood profile · RHS trees for smaller gardens
Roots & heritage
The story behind Red Dragon
- Cultivar origin
- New Zealand
- Discovered / selected by
- Graham Roberts
- Collection
- Duncan & Davies Nursery
Acer palmatum 'Red Dragon' is a red laceleaf Japanese maple selected by Graham Roberts at Duncan & Davies Nursery in New Zealand. The cultivar is distinguished by its compact, cascading growth habit and deeply dissected foliage, which emerges brilliant scarlet in spring, develops rich burgundy-purple tones during summer, and returns to fiery scarlet in autumn. Iseli Nursery and the University of Missouri report that 'Red Dragon' was introduced to the United States from New Zealand in 1990. This documented American introduction should not be confused with the original selection date, which remains unverified. Although its association with Duncan & Davies Nursery is well established in horticultural accounts, the available evidence does not establish its exact selection year or parentage. No cultivar-specific United States plant patent or registered trademark was verified, and no conclusion about propagation rights follows from that absence.
Explore the sources behind this story
Iseli Nursery - Acer palmatum dissectum Red Dragon, introduction to the United States in 1990University of Missouri Integrated Pest Management - Red Dragon, New Zealand development and American introductionCline's Nursery - Red Dragon, selection by Graham Roberts at Duncan & Davies NurseryRoyal Horticultural Society - Acer palmatum Red Dragon botanical and horticultural descriptionJC Raulston Arboretum - Red Dragon living collection accession 001096, received July 25, 2000The Dawes Arboretum - Acer palmatum Dissectum Group Red Dragon living collectionUSPTO - Official Patent Public Search, cultivar-specific record not verifiedUSPTO - Official Trademark Search, cultivar-specific registration not verified
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Pungo Maples Onsite Inventory
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