Growth Rate
Slow
Moderate
Fast
Fast
MrMaple explicitly describes fairly fast growth.
PUNGO MAPLES
Virginia Beach Japanese Maple Nursery
Firecracker
Acer palmatum
● In Stock
🔴 Red Summer
🌱 Dwarf
🌿 Weeping
Cultivar Description & Characteristics
The 'Firecracker' Japanese maple is a distinct laceleaf cultivar that grows with an arching, upward habit before eventually cascading outward in a dramatic fashion. In spring, the finely dissected foliage emerges in a vibrant ruby red before deepening to a dark burgundy-maroon as the season progresses. By autumn, the leaves transition into a striking, bright scarlet red to close out the year. This patented introduction from Esveld Nursery reaches an estimated 5 to 6 feet in height and 6 to 7 feet in width over 10 years.
Seasonal Foliage Spectrum
Spring: Ruby Red
Summer: Burgundy-Maroon
Fall: Scarlet Red
Sun Tolerance Ratings
Morning Sun
9 / 10
Afternoon Sun
4 / 10
☀️ Morning Sun Guidance:
Firecracker handles gentle morning sun exceptionally well, which helps keep its vibrant spring ruby-red and summer burgundy tones rich and healthy.
☀️ Afternoon Sun Guidance:
Like most laceleaf varieties, its finely dissected leaves are susceptible to leaf scorch under harsh afternoon heat, requiring partial shade during the hottest parts of the day.
Image highlights cultivar traits and is not exact photo of available stock. Image is property of Pungo Maples, unauthorized use prohibited.
Get to know your maple
Growth Habit & Size
Spreading · Weeping · Dwarf
Dwarf with branches that arch upward and outward before cascading down. This arching phase is not a permanently upright crown.
What do these growth habit terms mean?
More than one term can apply. Branch direction, crown shape and size describe different characteristics, and the outline can change as a tree matures.
- Upright
- Main stems and branches emphasize upward growth. An upright tree can still develop a broad canopy.
- Spreading
- Branches extend outward to form a broad canopy. The tree does not have to be wider than it is tall.
- Weeping
- Branches or branchlets arch or hang downward. The tree can still have an upright trunk.
- Rounded
- The crown has a rounded outline. This describes the overall shape rather than the direction of each branch.
- Dwarf
- A cultivar with a smaller natural stature than typical forms of its species. Dwarf describes size, not branch direction or a fixed height limit; it does not automatically mean slow growth.
For example: Bloodgood can grow upright while developing a broad, rounded canopy with spreading branches.
Learn more: NC State plant forms · Bloodgood profile · RHS trees for smaller gardens
Roots & heritage
The story behind Firecracker
- Cultivar origin
- Plantentuin Esveld, Boskoop, Netherlands
- Discovered / selected by
- Plantentuin Esveld; individual selector not documented
- Introduction year
- 2006
Acer palmatum 'Firecracker' is a Dutch laceleaf Japanese maple selected at Plantentuin Esveld in Boskoop, Netherlands. Esveld explicitly confirms that the selection originated at its own nursery and identifies 2006 as its introduction year, not its original selection date. However, Cor van Gelderen of Esveld described 'Firecracker' as a recent introduction in a September 2005 botanical forum discussion, indicating that the nursery's stated 2006 introduction date is not the earliest documented public reference. The cultivar was selected for its vigorous growth, deeply dissected burgundy-red foliage, and dark branches. Its individual selector, original selection date, and parentage remain undocumented. Unlike many older Japanese maple cultivars, 'Firecracker' has documented European plant breeders' rights. These rights are distinct from plant patents and registered trademarks, and their territorial application should not be assumed to extend automatically to the United States.
Explore the sources behind this story
Plantentuin Esveld - Original nursery confirms selection and 2006 introductionUBC Botanical Garden Forums - Cor van Gelderen of Esveld discusses Firecracker, September 2005CPVO - Official European plant variety rights register and Variety FinderAgronom - Firecracker EU plant variety rights application 20071713 and registration detailsThe Maple Nursery - Firecracker, Esveld introduction and EU PBR 25059Royal Horticultural Society - Acer palmatum Firecracker botanical descriptionUSPTO - Official Patent Public SearchUSPTO - Official Trademark Search; no cultivar-specific registration established
Cultivar information
Patent & trademark information
- Patent & Royalty Status
- EU plant variety right: CPVO application 20071713, filed 2007-07-30, granted 2009-05-04; reported title 25059, C. Esveld V.O.F. US plant patent not verified.
📊 Inventory and Pricing
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Pungo Maples Onsite Inventory
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