We might associate the reds and oranges and yellows of maples with autumn – but the variety of Japanese maples is something we can begin to enjoy this time of year.
John Hopkins of FOGG has taken some magnificent photos “showing the bright red seeds of the magnificent Japanese Maple”:
Acer palmatum, commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Japanese: irohamomiji, イロハモミジ, or momiji, (栴), is a species of woody plant native to Japan, Korea, China, eastern Mongolia, and southeast Russia. Many different cultivars of this maple have been selected and they are grown worldwide for their large variety of attractive forms, leaf shapes, and spectacular colors.
These compact trees come in a range of elegant shapes, with a fine tracery of branches. Some are distinctly upright, while others are more spreading, weeping or cascading. The attractive leaves are sometimes finely divided and lacy, and can be green or purple, marked with cream, yellow or pink.
Japanese maples / RHS Gardening
.