Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' (Coral Bark Japanese Maple)

Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku' is a Japanese maple cultivar noted for its showy fall foliage and the coral-pink bark for which it's named, as 'sango kaku' translates to 'coral tower,' a feature which stands to make 'Sango Kaku' an incredible specimen tree and focal piece for the home garden. Growing to 20-25 feet tall, this cultivar is among the larger end of the Japanese maples, and its larger stature only adds to its impressive beauty. Leaves emerge pinkish-yellow in the spring before deepening to light lime-green in the summer months and eventually yellow in the early fall.

As fall leaves mature and get ready to drop, the tree takes on its most striking effect with soft yellow layers falling to the ground and slowly revealing more and more of the brilliant red shades of the outer bark, which only deepen with cooler weather. 'Sango Kaku' grows best in moist, well-drained soils and part-shade, though it can be grown in full-sun. Additionally, wide-tolerance of soil types and resistance to herbivore browsing only add to its landscape appeal and versatility.