| Synonyms: 'Seigai,' 'Akaji Nishiki.' A splendid small tree, with dainty, hand-like leaves that open brilliant red in spring, then turn bronze and green for summer, and encore with a scarlet blaze in fall! Its twisty trunk and nearly weeping branches make it ideal for bonsai or containers as well as the garden, and its compact habit endears it to gardeners.
Nearly as wide as it is tall, 'Bonfire' is a shrubby, very well-branched tree with a twiggy look that makes for a full, dense presentation. Its spring show -- one of the most brilliant displays of pure red in all the Japanese Maple family! -- lasts up to 6 weeks, and the bronzy color that follows is handsome in its own right. The autumn color is spectacular as well, and the bare silhouette of this nearly weeping tree is stunning when set against a snowy or bright background. Truly an all-season tree, and compact enough for containers!
'Bonfire' reaches 8 to 12 feet high and wide. It prefers full sun in northern climates, but needs some afternoon shade farther south and west. Tolerant of our hot, humid summers, it thrives in any ordinary garden soil, and once it has made itself at home in your garden, you will find it trouble-free and a pure pleasure. Feature it in a small-space accent planting, or use several to cut a ribbon of changing color through the border, bed, or woodland garden. 'Bonfire' is versatile and always dependable! Zones 6-8. |
