The Nikko maple has smooth, gray bark and is a deciduous shade tree of the maple family (Sapindaceae). It is native to China and Japan and the leaves are distinct among maples for consisting of three separate leaflets. The genus Acer means maple in Latin and the species name maximowiczianum honors Carl Johann Maximowicz a botanist who discovered the tree growing in Japan in the 1860s. The common name Nikko comes from a town in Japan. It has a picturesque, vase-shaped, round-topped form and reaches a height and width of 20 to 30 feet. The vibrant red-orange fall color is why it is primarily grown. Unlike other maples, this plant does not have a traditional maple leaf. Each of its leaves are divided into three leaves. The Nikko maple grows best in sites with full sun and moist, well-drained soil. It is particularly resistant to insect pests and very easy to transplant. This tree supports pollinators like moths making it an excellent addition to a nighttime garden, a pollinator garden, or a specimen tree. Take advantage of the sticking fall color and vase shape to provide interest in the landscape in the fall and winter. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. See potential insect and disease problem fact sheets to the left. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common maple diseases and insect pests. More information on Acer .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt)
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Available space
24-60 feet
Mature size
Height: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in. | Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 30 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Slow
Canopy layer
2 - Understory (15-40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Oblong; Ovate
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are 2 to 5 in., opposite, and compound trifoliate. In the fall, they are rich red, yellow-red, and purple. Leaf colors may include green and light green.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Purple/Lavender; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower form
Panicle
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
.5 in. yellow flowers in clusters of 3 on a drooping panicle. Blooms in May.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper; Green
Fruit type
Samara
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
1 to 2 in. thick pubescent fruit
Bark color
Dark Brown; Dark Gray; Light Brown; Light Gray
Bark detail
Bark is a smooth gray to grayish brown
Stem color
Brown/Copper
Stem detail
Slender, angled brownish prominently lenticelled with pilose pubescence near the end of stem. Glabrous the 2nd year.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
China/Japan
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Pieces Used in Games; Shade; Wildlife Food Source; Wind Shimmer