Royal Horticulturist Society Award of Garden Merit
Acer 'Sango Kaku', a coral bark Japanese maple, is a large deciduous shrub or small tree offering year-round interest, prized for its coral-red bark that looks almost fluorescent and extends the season of interest throughout winter. In early spring, Acer 'Sango Kaku' blooms in attractive, but insignificant, reddish-purple flowers as it begins to leaf out in 5-lobed yellow-green leaves with plum to red edging. As the young leaves expand, they become light green-yellow and retain their color throughout the growing season. Flowers give way to winged samaras that ripen in early fall as the leaves begin to turn bright yellow and beautifully highlight the red twigs and branches.
Acer 'Sango Kaku' has an upright, bushy, rounded habit, a vase-shaped canopy, and a slow to moderate growth rate. Acer 'Sango Kaku' is a perfect specimen plant, adding color and texture to the landscape, and fits nicely in mixed beds in smaller gardens.
Low maintenance, coral bark Japanese maple grows best in a sunny to dappled shade location with organically rich, moist, well-draining soil, having an average to slightly acidic pH. It tolerates a wide range of soils, including sand and heavy clay, but high pH soils may result in chlorosis, a yellowing or blanching of the leaves. It is drought tolerant as well as rabbit and black walnut resistant, making it a favored understory plant.
