Acer palmatum ‘Hana tsukasa'

Flower Japanese Maple

Zones 6-9

This is an extremely rare and unique Japanese maple. 'Hana tsukasa' leafs out in the spring as completely pink, before getting green into the center of the leaf by mid-spring. Later the pink turns to a creamy white margined variegation. The leaves are often longer, thinner, and more irregular shaped than types like ‘Beni shichihenge’ or ‘Butterfly’. In the fall, ‘Hana Tsukasa' turns to bright orange to red. 'Hana Tsukasa’ may reach 6-8 ft in 10 years with a whispy and more open appearance. Give ‘Hana Tsukasa’ morning sun with  protection from the hot afternoon sun for best color and growth rate. "Hana" means flower while "tsukasa" comes from the name of Tsukasa Nursery in Japan that introduced it.