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Waterfall Japanese Maple for Sale - Buying & Growing Guide

  • Waterfall Japanese Maple
  • Waterfall Japanese Maple
  • Waterfall Japanese Maple
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Acer palmatum dissectum 'Waterfall'

The attractive shape of the Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree may be the most impressive of any Japanese maple variety. This small cultivar, Acer palmatum dissectum 'Waterfall,' grows to about 10 feet tall with a single-stemmed habit and a set of branches that weep slightly towards the ground as they grow. Those branches hold a set of finely textured leaves that are deep green in spring and summer before offering dazzling shades of gold, orange and red in fall. 

  • The branches have a subtle weeping habit that makes for a beautiful overall form. 
  • The leaves turn from a rich green to golden orange with hints of red in fall. 
  • The Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree is more heat-tolerant than its relatives. 
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Plant Care

Sunlight

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The Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree can prefer partial shade or full sunlight depending on your growing location.

Watering

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Provide water about once per week during most of the growing season.

Fertilizing

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Use a balanced fertilizer or one that is low in nitrogen about once per year in early spring.

Planting and Care

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by John Haryasz | Horticulture Writer and Landscape Designer – last update on October 20, 2022

Planting instructions

The Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree survives throughout hardiness zones five through nine. If you live in a cooler part of that range, you should plant this tree in a full sun location. If you live where it’s a bit warmer, you should grow in partial shade. Find soils that are slightly acidic with good drainage, then dig a hole that is as deep as the root ball is tall and about twice as wide or more. Place your tree in the hole and backfill it with nutrient-rich soil while providing plenty of water.

Watering and nutrients

After planting a Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree, you should water it a few times per week during the first few growing seasons. Following the first few growing seasons, your tree should be established and will perform best when it receives water about once per week. During heatwaves and drought, you can increase your watering frequency as needed. You can feed this plant with a balanced fertilizer or one that is low in nitrogen in the early spring—about once per year or less.

Pollination

The Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree is a self-fertile tree which means that you need only one to conduct pollination. In spring, this tree will bloom with a small set of purplish flowers that will attract several types of pollinator insects. As those insects feed on the nectar, they will move pollen from the male flower structures to the female ones. Once that transfer is successful, the Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree will produce a set of winged samara fruits—as all maple trees do.

Pruning

In most cases, the pruning you’ll need to perform for your Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree will be minimal. During this plant’s establishment period, you should not prune it at all. Once the tree is established, you can prune this plant lightly during its dormant phase, at which time you should remove broken, dead and diseased branches. Generally, you will not need to do any significant shaping for this tree as it grows with a beautiful form naturally.

Pests, diseases and animals

Although the Waterfall Japanese Maple is one of the more disease-resistant Japanese maple varieties, it remains possible for it to run into some issues. Most of these problems will affect the foliage of this plant with tip blight and leaf spots being common. Also, if you grow this plant in a hotter climate in full sunlight, leaf scorch is also possible. Occasionally, pests may threaten the Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree as well with Japanese beetles being one of the most common to cause an infestation.

Achieving maximum results

While the natural shape and size of the Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree are impressive without heaving shaping, some light shaping can allow you to emphasize this tree’s beautiful form fully. By trimming the outermost stems and foliage of this tree, you can easily create neatly rounded canopy shapes. However, you should not shear this plant as you would for a hedge. Instead, you should use pruners to remove stems and leaves individually to keep this tree’s lovely foliage intact.

FAQs

What happens if a Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree doesn't get enough sun?

If your Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree does not receive enough sunlight, it will likely have a faded foliage color. This is most common when this plant grows in partial shade in the cooler parts of its growing range. Conversely, if a Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree gets too much sunlight, especially in warmer regions, it may begin to show signs of leaf scorch. In either case, improper sun exposure can detract greatly from this plant's foliage.

Why is it called a Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree?

As you might guess, the name “Waterfall Japanese Maple” is a reference to this plant's growth habit and overall appearance. Like a waterfall, the leaves of this plant appear to be flowing downward along the weeping branches. The fine texture of those leaves can also give a slight shimmering effect. The rest of this plant's common name simply indicates that it is one of the many cultivars of the original Japanese maple tree—known botanically as Acer palmatum.

What do the leaves of a Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree look like?

The leaves of the Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree are a bit different than those of a standard Japanese maple tree. The reason for this is that the Waterfall Japanese Maple Tree belongs to a group of Japanese maple cultivars known as the dissectum group. Most members of this group have leaves with thin, almost feathery lobes that are unlike the nearly oval love of standard Japanese maple leaves. These thin leaves make for a unique overall canopy texture.

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Mature height
6-12 ft.
Mature width
8-12 ft.
Sunlight requirement
Best Color- Part Shade Tolerates Full Sun in cooler regions
Growth rate
Slow
Botanical name
Acer palmatum dissectum 'Waterfall'
Shipping exclusions
AZ
Grows Well In Zones
5-9
map
Growing Zones: 5-9 i Growing zones help determine if a particular plant is likely to grow well in a location. It identifies the average annual minimum winter temperatures across the U.S. provided as a map by the USDA.
(hardy down to -10°F)

Waterfall Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum dissectum 'Waterfall'
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