Growth Rate
Slow
Moderate
Fast
Moderate
Moderate growth reported by Maple Ridge Nursery; height increases slowly as the canopy mounds.
PUNGO MAPLES
Virginia Beach Japanese Maple Nursery
Crimson Queen
Acer palmatum
● In Stock
🌱 Dwarf
🪴 Great for Containers
🌿 Weeping
Cultivar Description & Characteristics
Crimson Queen is a classic weeping laceleaf maple renowned for its exceptional vigor, dependable habit, and rich color retention. The deeply dissected leaves emerge in a brilliant bright red in spring, darkening only slightly to a rich burgundy in summer. In autumn, the cascading canopy lights up with a vibrant display of fiery scarlet tones. Its weeping, mounded architecture forms a perfect natural umbrella shape in the landscape.
10-Yr Height
8.0
10-Yr Width
10.0
Seasonal Foliage Spectrum
Spring: Bright Red
Summer: Burgundy
Fall: Fiery Scarlet
Sun Tolerance Ratings
Morning Sun
9 / 10
Afternoon Sun
7 / 10
☀️ Morning Sun Guidance:
Brings out the brilliant bright red spring emergence of this classic dissectum.
☀️ Afternoon Sun Guidance:
Good heat and sun tolerance for a weeping laceleaf, holding deep burgundy well.
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 · Rounded · Dwarf
Dwarf, broad-spreading laceleaf with a rounded, dome-shaped crown and pendulous branches; graft height affects overall height.
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 Crimson Queen
- Cultivar origin
- United States
- Introduction year
- 1965
Acer palmatum 'Crimson Queen' is an American selection of Japanese maple distinguished by its finely dissected, deep crimson foliage and graceful cascading habit. The Dawes Arboretum credits Japanese maple authority J. D. Vertrees with naming and releasing the cultivar in 1965. Specialist nursery Frank P. Matthews independently confirms 1965 as its introduction year. Van den Berk Nurseries attributes its origin to Cascio in the United States, although the relationship between that attribution and Vertrees' documented release remains unresolved. The original selection date, precise selection location, and parentage have not been reliably established. Consequently, 1965 is recorded as the introduction year rather than the year the original plant was selected. Official United States plant patent documents for other cultivars describe 'Crimson Queen' as unpatented, but this does not independently establish its current trademark status or any contractual propagation restrictions.
Explore the sources behind this story
Dawes Arboretum - Crimson Queen named and released by J. D. Vertrees in 1965Frank P. Matthews - Crimson Queen introduction in 1965Van den Berk Nurseries - Crimson Queen, Cascio, USA, 1965 attributionHistoryland Nursery - Crimson Queen horticultural characteristics and patent listingUSPTO patent USPP31864P2 - Acer palmatum MONFRICK; Crimson Queen identified as unpatented comparison cultivarUSPTO application US20100071101P1 - King's Blood; Crimson Queen identified as an unpatented parentUSPTO - Official Patent Public SearchUSPTO - Official Trademark Search; no cultivar-specific registration confirmed
Cultivar information
Patent & trademark information
- Patent & Royalty Status
- United States: described as unpatented in USPP31864P2 (comparison cultivar 'MONFRICK') and US20100071101P1 ('King's Blood'); no patent identifier for 'Crimson Queen' established.
📊 Inventory and Pricing
● Live Data
Pungo Maples Onsite Inventory
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