Brand:  Belcher and Sons Nursery

Description:

This dwarf, slow growing variety is an exceptional landscape tree for smaller yards or gardens; crinkly, dark green foliage in summer, turning yellow, red, and orange in fall; attracts nesting birds; best with some shelter; water more if grown in full sun

Ornamental Features

Pacific Sprite Vine Maple has attractive dark green deciduous foliage on a plant with an oval habit of growth. The crinkled lobed leaves are highly ornamental and turn outstanding shades of yellow, orange and red in the fall. It produces red samaras in early fall.

Landscape Attributes

Pacific Sprite Vine Maple is a multi-stemmed deciduous shrub with a shapely oval form. Its average texture blends into the landscape, but can be balanced by one or two finer or coarser trees or shrubs for an effective composition.

This is a relatively low maintenance shrub, and should only be pruned in summer after the leaves have fully developed, as it may 'bleed' sap if pruned in late winter or early spring. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Pacific Sprite Vine Maple is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Accent
• Mass Planting
• Hedges/Screening
• General Garden Use

Planting & Growing

Pacific Sprite Vine Maple will grow to be about 15 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 15 feet. It has a low canopy with a typical clearance of 1 foot from the ground, and is suitable for planting under power lines. It grows at a medium rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 60 years or more.

This shrub does best in a location that gets morning sunlight but is shaded from the hot afternoon sun, although it will also grow in full shade. Keep it away from hot, dry locations that receive direct afternoon sun or which get reflected sunlight, such as against the south side of a white wall. It requires an evenly moist well-drained soil for optimal growth, but will die in standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. It is not particular as to soil pH, but grows best in rich soils. It is quite intolerant of urban pollution, therefore inner city or urban streetside plantings are best avoided, and will benefit from being planted in a relatively sheltered location. Consider applying a thick mulch around the root zone over the growing season to conserve soil moisture. This is a selection of a native North American species.