Acer platanoides 'Crimson King' 12L

Acer platanoides 'Crimson King' (Crimson King Norway Maple)

For real drama in a larger garden, few trees rival Acer platanoides 'Crimson King'. Its large, five-lobed leaves emerge and hold a deep, glossy purplish-crimson right through summer, providing a bold, constant splash of colour that few other trees can match. In spring, before the foliage fully emerges, clusters of striking reddish-orange flowers appear on the bare branches, followed later in the year by the characteristic double-winged samaras typical of maples.

A vigorous, fast-growing, and reliably hardy tree, it holds an RHS Award of Garden Merit and copes well with a wide range of conditions, thriving in full sun or partial shade and tolerating chalk, clay, loam, and sandy soils alike. It's also notably wind-resistant and tolerant of urban pollution, making it a versatile choice for exposed or town gardens. Growing into a medium to large specimen with a spreading, symmetrical crown, it reaches an ultimate height of 8–12 metres and a spread wider than 8 metres over 20–50 years, so it's best suited to gardens with room for a substantial statement tree. Pruning needs are minimal, limited to formative shaping while young.

Each plant is hand-selected before dispatch.