‘Peve’s Starfish’ Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum ‘Peve’s Starfish’
Plant Details
USDA Plant Hardiness Zones: 5a-9b Find Your Zone
Height at Maturity: 6-8′ in 20 years
Width at Maturity: 4-5′ in 20 years
Growth Habit / Form: Upright
Growth Rate: Moderate
Foliage Color in Spring: Bright Red in spring
Foliage Color in Summer: Deep Maroon in summer with flushes of Bright Red
Foliage Color in Fall: Brilliant Crimson Red
Light Needs: Morning Sun with Afternoon Shade, All Day Filtered Sun; Evening Sun is okay
Water Needs: Average, moderately drought tolerant when established
Soil Type: Clay (Amend heavy clay soil to ensure good drainage), Loam, Sandy, Silty
Drainage: Moist But Well Drained
Soil pH: 5.0 – 7.0 is ideal
Maintenance: Low
Resistances: Deer – more info, Heat Tolerant, Insect Resistant, Sun Tolerant
Description
One of the most unique and interesting Japanese Maples in our gardens, Peve’s Starfish is a slow-growing, semi-dwarf, upright tree that might reach 8 feet tall and half as wide in 20 years, making it a fine selection for small garden spaces or in containers. What’s most intriguing are the leaves, with cupped, narrow lobes that curl downward, looking much like a starfish, hence the name. The leaf colors are fascinating as well, emerging a bright red in spring transitioning to a deep maroon (almost black) by summer. Cooler temperatures in fall bring on brilliant crimson red shades. Sure to be a conversation piece.
Landscape & Garden Uses
To showcase its magnificence and beauty, the Peve’s Starfish Japanese Maple is best used as a specimen in smaller garden spaces or containers to draw attention to a specific area of the home or landscape. That said, you can plant several in a grouping or use two to frame an entryway.
Suggested Spacing: At least 6 feet apart for space between trees
Container culture can extend the useful range of Japanese Maples. They are extremely easy to grow in containers, a practice taken to its most extreme form in the art of bonsai. Click on the link below under Helpful Articles for Japanese Maple container planting instructions.
Note: One Japanese Maple can make a landscape…that is, if you don’t overcrowd it with other trees and plants. Therefore, when choosing companions to plant under or around your Japanese Maple, make sure to select low-growing shrubs or groundcovers that won’t interfere at all with your tree.
Growing Preferences
Though delicate looking, Japanese Maples are actually very tough and long-lived trees. They are very easy to grow in the ground or in containers.
In their natural habitat, Japanese Maples are understory trees, growing in dappled forest sunlight at the edges of woodlands. Ideally Peve’s Starfish prefers growing in similar conditions. There are many sun-tolerant Japanese Maple varieties.
Most any average garden soil will grow Japanese Maples. They prefer a moist but well-drained soil rich in organic matter. As with so many other ornamental plants and trees, constantly soggy or wet soil can be problematic. So make sure to plant your Japanese Maple in a well-drained site.
Helpful Articles
Click on a link below to get helpful advice from our experts on how to plant and care for Japanese Maple trees.
How To Plant A Japanese Maple Tree In The Ground
How to Plant A Japanese Maple Tree In A Pot
How To Fertilize And Water A Japanese Maple Tree
How To Prune A Japanese Maple
Plant Long & Prosper!
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Questions? Contact Us!
I maintain a 1500 sq ft rooftop container garden which is an award winning secluded oasis. I needed a Japanese Maple for a focal point just outside glass sliding doors, so I sent an email to Wilson Bros., shopping the market. Within hours I received info on seven top Japanese Maples from which to make a selection. I consider this VIP treatment. What I received two days later was exactly what I ordered and cherished, an generous 3-gallon dark burgundy Starfish Japanese Maple in adult, “perfect” condition. Everyone who maintains a manicured garden should have a Starfish Japanese Maple. You can buy Japanese Maples for $35 on line, but you have to wait many years for maturity. Me, I want instant gratification which is why I go to Wilson Brothers for the show stopper. I opened the box, to witness “perfect”. It was quickly planted in a 22″ container and bingo, I was in business.———————————————Thanks Ward!! We are so glad you are pleased and we hope you enjoy it for years to come! Thanks so much for the kind words and great review! 🙂 Beth Steele | WBG































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