Growth Rate
Slow
Moderate
Fast
Slow
Conifer Kingdom describes moderately slow growth, approximately 6-9 inches per year.
PUNGO MAPLES
Virginia Beach Japanese Maple Nursery
Autumn Moon 🌕 FULL MOON SERIES
Acer palmatum
● In Stock
Cultivar Description & Characteristics
Autumn Moon is an outstanding small-growing tree prized for its exceptional, luminous yellow-orange spring foliage edged in soft red. During the summer heat, the leaves transition into a pleasing chartreuse green with hints of bronze undertones. When autumn arrives, the canopy bursts into a dazzling combination of fiery orange, yellow, and brilliant red. It performs wonderfully in filtered morning sunlight, bringing warm, glowing tones to any garden setting.
10-Yr Height
8.0
10-Yr Width
6.0
Seasonal Foliage Spectrum
Spring: Yellow-Orange
Summer: Chartreuse
Fall: Fiery Orange
Sun Tolerance Ratings
Morning Sun
9 / 10
Afternoon Sun
5 / 10
☀️ Morning Sun Guidance:
Filtered morning sunlight brings out its luminous yellow-orange spring foliage.
☀️ Afternoon Sun Guidance:
Needs afternoon shade during peak summer to prevent the chartreuse leaves from burning.
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
Upright
Small upright, bushy full-moon maple; branching can be trained wider.
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 Autumn Moon
- Cultivar origin
- Maplewood Nursery, Roseburg, Oregon, United States
- Discovered / selected by
- J. D. Vertrees
- Collection
- Maplewood Nursery
Autumn Moon is accepted by the Royal Horticultural Society as Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'; Acer palmatum 'Autumn Moon' is listed as a synonym. Its origin is attributed to Japanese maple author and nurseryman J. D. Vertrees. Conifer Kingdom reports that he discovered it as a seedling at Maplewood Nursery in Roseburg, Oregon, while MrMaple separately credits him with both selection and introduction. These accounts support a chance-seedling origin rather than a documented deliberate cross. However, the sources reviewed do not establish its parents or provide a sufficiently verified selection or commercial introduction year. Those details remain undocumented. The cultivar is distinguished by rounded, many-lobed leaves combining yellow-green coloration with orange or pink tones. Patent and cultivar-related registered-trademark status remain unverified, without implying royalty-free propagation or public-domain status.
Explore the sources behind this story
Conifer Kingdom: Autumn Moon—The Ultimate Orange Maple?; seedling discovery by J. D. Vertrees at Maplewood Nursery, Roseburg, OregonMrMaple: Acer shirasawanum 'Autumn Moon'; chance seedling selected and introduced by J. D. VertreesRoyal Horticultural Society: Autumn Moon; accepted classification, Acer palmatum synonym, and foliage descriptionUSPTO Patent Public Search; registry accessed, but no patent status for this maple verifiedUSPTO Trademark Search; registry accessed, but no cultivar-related registered-trademark status verified
📊 Inventory and Pricing
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