Growth Habit & Size
Spreading · Weeping · Dwarf
Dwarf with outward-spreading, cascading branches forming a low umbrella.
PUNGO MAPLES
Virginia Beach Japanese Maple Nursery
Dr. Brown
Acer palmatum
● In Stock
🌱 Dwarf
🌿 Weeping
Cultivar Description & Characteristics
Dr. Brown is a robust and distinctive upright cultivar that produces large, deeply lobed leaves with excellent substance. The spring foliage opens in rich shades of dark reddish-purple, maintaining its deep coloration exceptionally well through warm summers. As the season cools down, the canopy transitions into brilliant shades of bright crimson and orange. Its strong structural framework makes it an outstanding specimen tree for prominent garden locations.
10-Yr Height
8.0
10-Yr Width
6.0
Seasonal Foliage Spectrum
Spring: Dark Red
Summer: Burgundy
Fall: Crimson
Sun Tolerance Ratings
Morning Sun
9 / 10
Afternoon Sun
7 / 10
☀️ Morning Sun Guidance:
Morning sun brings out the rich dark reddish-purple spring foliage.
☀️ Afternoon Sun Guidance:
Robust structural framework provides decent resistance to regular sun exposures.
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
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 Dr. Brown
Acer palmatum 'Dr. Brown' is a compact, weeping Japanese maple cultivar distinguished by its finely dissected red foliage and broad, umbrella-shaped canopy. Specialist nursery descriptions characterize it as a slow-growing laceleaf maple, generally reaching approximately four feet in height and five feet in width after ten years. Its foliage develops rich burgundy-red coloration during the growing season, followed by brighter red autumn tones. Despite its distinctive name, the identity of the individual honored as Dr. Brown has not been established from reliable historical documentation. The original selector, geographical origin, selection date, and first commercial introduction remain undocumented. No verified evidence identifies its parentage or establishes that it resulted from a controlled hybridization. The cultivar's presence in commercial nursery inventories confirms its cultivation but does not establish an introduction year. No cultivar-specific United States plant patent or registered trademark has been verified.
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Pungo Maples Onsite Inventory
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