Acer palmatum 'Kamagata'

Another outstanding cultivar of Acer palmatum with small 5-7lobed leaves with each lobe tapering to a nice pointed tip. Leaves are small on older growth, but can be twice the size on new vigorous growth, although the leaves rarely revert or stray from their typical shape.

Kamagata has, for the most part, a solid medium to light green color throughout the season, with the leaf margins edged in red more heavily in the spring.

An attractive semi-dwarf tree that can grow vigorously when young for a small tree. Although twiggy in growth habit, it is a very hardy and strong tree.

This tree is 4 years old shown in fall coloration 10/04 and spring coloration first 3/22/05 and then 4/18/05. This tree has remained in moderate shade with filtered afternoon sun for the last two years--MJH

 

Just got mine.About a metre high.

 

Pics taken this spring

 

I've really come around on this tree, and I'm not even getting much of the reddish tipped margins that this cultivar is know for. It has be a very vigorous grower, thick after less than a year with me. This one is in filtered sun; another in deep shade is also growing quickly but with no coloration (I plan to move it).

Two things I love about this cultivar are not really captured in my pictures:

1) It has a very nice bright lime green color in spring that makes it stand out from the background.

2) The texture - it is one of those maples that you can't help running your fingers through. Sometimes when the same word is used over and over to describe a cultivar - its probably true. The word for kamagata is "feathery"

 

I have two potted Kamagata trees that have lingered as deprived orphans, untended in the shady back yard. They have not been vigorous growers but they will now get some TLC and a place in the garden. Autumn color shows a beautiful red as can be seen in the attached picture taken in late September.

I will re-pot and prune to shape over the winter. We aim to keep the trees permanently in containers. Any pruning and shaping suggestions?

November 2008 update: We got a beautiful show of autumn red from our two dwarf Kamagatas. I think these need a reasonable amount of light and a little neglect of watering to bring on the fall colour. With fine leaves and small stature, the variety is worthy of a small garden spot that displays well.

 

Planted in June 2000, Kamagata has shown itself to be a very slow dwarf acer, even now it is only about 1ft tall. The green leaves in pic 5 are of an epimedium to get an idea of scale. It is in a sheltered heavily shaded area.

 

Have never noticed any seeds on this cultivar yet. Photos May 12/08.

 

My Kamagata has grown faster than I expected. I had planned to grow in containers indefinitely but I might need to plant in the yard after this summer. I bought mine as a first year graft and this photo was taken when it was about 2-3 years old.

 

Sadly, our two dwarf Kamagata container grown trees died in 2009. We think Spring kill. The leaf buds bad begun to swell and the plant was waking up, weather turned cold for a while and the trees never came to life again. They had survived at least 5 years in our yard.

We live in North Vancouver. Anyone else experience loss of Japanese maples in 2009? We have a few dozen maple trees and nothing else was affected.

 

It's strange that they both died and nothing else was affected. I lost a container grown Kamagata in a similar way a few years ago; it seemed alright but it just never woke up again in the spring. I grow about 30 cultivars and this is the only one it ever happened to. Our climate here is generally fairly mild, but the early spring can often be cold and wet.

 

It's always sad to lose a maple. My Kamagata was not thriving in a rather flat area in my garden, but it perked up nicely when I placed it on a 45˚ slope where it gets much better drainage. It has gone through (each spring) that proto-leafing out stage only to have frost hit it hard, but it seems to do very well in spite of that. I believe this tree needs great drainage to perform well. Could that have been a factor in North Vancouver? Did you have an especially wet spring? Just curious.

 

Thanks for the information....this would be perfect for my driveway which is lightly shaded by a walnut tree. The red against the stamped concrete will look really nice.

 

Can someone link a site where you can buy small dwarfs for a really cheap price??


I want to growm one in a pot on my balcony


John

 

John,
Please let us know if you find the cheap source for dwarf Japanese Maples. I for sure cannot find one for life of me.
:)

 

One of my favorites.

seventrees

 

May 2009 and October 2007

 

My new Kamagata. I think I got a fantastic specimen with this one, I'm quite pleased with the shape it is taking. Pics taken 5/19/10.

 

Looks like you got a really nice specimen there. I like it's natural habit a lot. I think it is generally an underrated cultivar, and I'm not sure why. It can be very showy at times, and I like it's neat and graceful form. Happy growing.

 

I saw the most amazingly huge Kamagata this weekend at Charlie's. I didn't know they even got that big! It took three tries to find a spot where I could get the whole tree in my camera phone so it's in the ground behind some other trees. But I had to share this because my mind is still boggling.

 

here is a photo of the tree a few years back before I planted it

 

this is my 12' tall Kamagata which is one of my few trees planted in my yard

 

this tree always has great spring color. This last winter I relocated my big kamagata, it is a perfect fit.

 

I am just stunned by my Kamagata this spring, I never expected the foliage to be as pretty as it is. Now I know why it's the "special" tree. :)

 

Kamagata is great. I also like Sharp's Pygmy and Cynthia's Crown Jewel, but their leaves are abit wider and lack the nice spring colors. The fall colors on Sharp's Pygmy are among the best in my collection.

 

My poor Kamagata after a late-summer partial leaf drop and subsequent new growth. Despite the awkward green tips, it did deepen into a lovely ruby red.