Growth Rate
Slow
Moderate
Fast
Fast
Vigorous juvenile growth reported by Maple Ridge Nursery; mature growth can be less vigorous.
PUNGO MAPLES
Virginia Beach Japanese Maple Nursery
Lionheart
Acer palmatum
● In Stock
🌿 Weeping
Cultivar Description & Characteristics
Lionheart is a vigorous and robust upright tree featuring exceptionally dark, rich purple-red foliage. The deeply cut leaves maintain their intense dark burgundy coloration exceptionally well through the heat of summer without fading. When autumn arrives, the dense canopy erupts into a brilliant display of bright scarlet and crimson. Its strong growth habit and rich color make it a magnificent focal point for any property.
10-Yr Height
10.0
10-Yr Width
8.0
Seasonal Foliage Spectrum
Spring: Dark Purple-Red
Summer: Burgundy
Fall: Bright Scarlet
Sun Tolerance Ratings
Morning Sun
9 / 10
Afternoon Sun
7 / 10
☀️ Morning Sun Guidance:
Exceptionally dark, rich purple-red foliage gleams in morning light.
☀️ Afternoon Sun Guidance:
Deep burgundy coloration resists summer fade exceptionally well under standard sun.
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 · Spreading · Weeping
Initially upright, then develops spreading, arching and partly weeping layers with age.
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 Lionheart
'Lionheart' is a red laceleaf Japanese maple recognized by the Royal Horticultural Society. Gardenseeker attributes its introduction to Duncan and Davies Nursery in New Zealand, but an original nursery account confirming that history was not located. This reported introduction does not establish where the original plant arose, who selected it, or when selection occurred. No verified selection or introduction year, parentage, or original collection accession was found. Its distinctive habit is independently documented in the United States patent for the different cultivar 'Garnet Tower': 'Lionheart' is described as having red foliage and an initially upright habit that becomes weeping with maturity. That patent also identifies 'Lionheart' as not patented, providing historical evidence rather than a determination of its present worldwide legal status.
Explore the sources behind this story
Royal Horticultural Society — Acer palmatum 'Lionheart' cultivar profileGardenseeker — secondary attribution of introduction to Duncan and Davies Nursery, New ZealandUSPP18561P2 — Garnet Tower patent; describes Lionheart's habit and explicitly identifies it as not patentedUSPTO Patent Public Search — official portal accessed; current cultivar-specific status not verifiedUSPTO Trademark Search — official portal accessed; no maple-associated registration verified; trademark field remains null
Cultivar information
Patent & trademark information
- Patent & Royalty Status
- United States: USPP18561P2 (2008), covering Garnet Tower, describes Lionheart as not patented. This historical statement does not establish current worldwide patent status.
📊 Inventory and Pricing
● Live Data
Pungo Maples Onsite Inventory
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