Japanese maples have a certain air to them that always brings you to pause and reflect. A fully-grown specimen has a wonderful form that looks for all the world like a Bonsai tree made large. It’s not just their form that makes them a worthwhile landscape or potted addition. Their foliage has some absolutely stunning shapes and colours.

Starting out in vibrant hues in spring before settling down to their summer shades and then colouring up for autumn. If you’re after a small deciduous tree then it’s hard to go past the Japanese maple.

There are two main forms of Japanese maple you’ll encounter but there is great variation within the species.

• Tree form: varying in size, however, this is the typical form of a Japanese maple – a short, stout trunk with widely spreading branches starting about 1m or so up the trunk.

• Grafted weeping: here a weeping Japanese maple or cascading variety is grafted onto a taller trunk. This creates a flowing form that with time will appear as a cascading mound.

Japanese maples are wonderfully seasonal deciduous trees.

• Spring: buds burst, leaves unfurl and expand. Often, they’ll be vibrant colours.

• Summer: foliage colour settles down to its regular hue. This can still be deep burgundy shades or a wide range of greens and bronzes. There are even variegated forms.

• Autumn: many varieties will display awesome autumn colour – brilliant reds, oranges and yellows.

• Winter: the sculptural, filigree form of the leafless tree becomes its own feature.

Bunnings