Growth Rate
Slow
Moderate
Fast
Moderate
Moderate growth reported by Wilson Bros Gardens.
PUNGO MAPLES
Virginia Beach Japanese Maple Nursery
Hefner's Red
Acer palmatum
● In Stock
☀️ Full Sun
Cultivar Description & Characteristics
Hefner's Red is a robust and hardy upright tree featuring rich, dark red spring foliage that maintains its color exceptionally well. The deeply lobed leaves maintain a dense, full canopy that provides deep shade and strong structural presence. As autumn approaches, the dark burgundy foliage brightens into a vivid display of scarlet and crimson. It is a dependable and tough cultivar well-suited for varied climate conditions.
10-Yr Height
10.0
10-Yr Width
8.0
Seasonal Foliage Spectrum
Spring: Dark Red
Summer: Burgundy
Fall: Scarlet
Sun Tolerance Ratings
Morning Sun
9 / 10
Afternoon Sun
7 / 10
☀️ Morning Sun Guidance:
Rich, dark red spring foliage opens cleanly under morning rays.
☀️ Afternoon Sun Guidance:
Robust and hardy nature allows it to withstand standard summer afternoon heat.
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
Dense upright branching; allow room for the mature canopy.
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 Hefner's Red
- Cultivar origin
- Hefner's Nursery, Conover, North Carolina, USA
- Discovered / selected by
- Randy Hefner
- Collection
- Hefner's Nursery
Acer palmatum 'Hefner's Red' originated as a chance seedling at Hefner's Nursery in Conover, North Carolina. Horticulturist Tony Avent documented its history following an August 2024 nursery visit, identifying Randy Hefner as the person who selected the original field-grown seedling decades earlier. Hefner recognized its exceptional ability to retain deep red foliage through hot summers, a characteristic that distinguishes it from many traditional red Japanese maples. The selection was subsequently introduced through nursery distribution, although its original selection date and first commercial introduction year remain undocumented. The JC Raulston Arboretum received an accession on July 25, 2000, confirming the cultivar was in cultivation by that date. Its seed parent, pollen parent, and any controlled hybridization remain unknown. No cultivar-specific United States plant patent or registered trademark was established from the available documentation.
Explore the sources behind this story
Juniper Level Botanic Garden - Tony Avent, Hefner's Centerfolds, August 14, 2024; Randy Hefner's original seedling selectionJC Raulston Arboretum - Acer palmatum Hefner's Red, accession 001101 received July 25, 2000Brookgreen Gardens - Hefner's Red chance seedling origin and horticultural characteristicsPlant Collections Network - 2017 Acer Holdings, Hefner's Red provenance and nursery sourcesMrMaple - Hefner's Red nursery origin and summer color retentionUSPTO - Official Patent Public Search; cultivar-specific plant patent not independently verifiedUSPTO - Official Trademark Search; cultivar-specific registration not independently verified
📊 Inventory and Pricing
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Pungo Maples Onsite Inventory
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