Red Dragon Weeping Japanese Maple

Light Needs

Part Sun to Full Sun

(5+ Hours Direct Sun)

Mature Height

8-10 Feet

Mature Spread

10-12 Feet

Growing Zones

5 to 8

Red Dragon Weeping Japanese Maple turns a small garden into a focal point with deep red, finely cut foliage on cascading branches. Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Red Dragon' opens cherry red in spring, deepens to burgundy through summer, and finishes with bright crimson fall color. Its compact weeping form usually matures around 6 to 10 feet tall and wide, with some plants staying closer to 7 or 8 feet in a natural shape. Our landscape designer usually chooses it for patios, entry gardens, and water features where the color and branching are easy to appreciate.

This laceleaf Japanese maple belongs to a group valued for deeply divided leaves and sculptural branching. It is more sun tolerant than many weeping Japanese maples, although hot inland or southern sites still call for afternoon shade and protection from drying wind. The tree is deciduous, with red branches and gray bark adding winter structure after the leaves drop. Use it as a specimen, container tree, pond-side accent, or layered understory plant in a sheltered mixed border.

Red Dragon Weeping Japanese Maple Care

Plant Red Dragon Weeping Japanese Maple in filtered sun, morning sun, or full sun in cooler climates. In hot summer regions, give it part shade with protection from harsh afternoon exposure. It grows best in rich, moist, well-drained soil with a slightly acidic to neutral pH.

Water deeply after planting and keep the root zone evenly moist during the first few growing seasons. Established trees still benefit from deep watering during summer heat, especially when grown in containers or planted near pavement. Fertilize once in early spring with a balanced slow-release tree and shrub fertilizer before new leaves fully expand. Mulch the root zone with 2 inches of organic mulch, keeping it away from the trunk.

Allow Red Dragon Weeping Japanese Maple to establish for 2 to 3 years before making major pruning decisions. Remove dead, damaged, or crossing branches when needed, and make shaping cuts in summer after the leaves have fully opened. Avoid late winter to early spring pruning when Japanese maples may bleed sap.

Red Dragon Weeping Japanese Maple Spacing

Give Red Dragon Weeping Japanese Maple 8 to 10 feet of space in the landscape so the cascading canopy can develop naturally. For containers, choose a sturdy pot at least 20 inches wide with drainage holes, and size up as the root system grows. Potted trees need more frequent watering than in-ground trees and appreciate a protected location during winter in colder zones.

For companion planting, combine Red Dragon Weeping Japanese Maple with azaleas and rhododendron, ferns, hellebores, or Japanese forest grass in part-shade beds with moist, well-drained soil. Hostas can fill the lower layer beneath the canopy, and leucothoe can add evergreen foliage nearby in acidic soil. In containers, use coral bells, dead nettle, or pansies around the maple for seasonal color and foliage contrast in filtered light.

Red Dragon Weeping Japanese Maple Information

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