Growth Rate
Slow
Moderate
Fast
Moderate
Moderate growth reported by Loen Nursery.
PUNGO MAPLES
Virginia Beach Japanese Maple Nursery
Moonfire
Acer palmatum
● In Stock
Cultivar Description & Characteristics
Moonfire is a striking upright tree featuring rich, dark burgundy foliage that glows intensely when backlit by the sun. The spring leaves emerge in a deep black-red color, holding their dark pigmentation exceptionally well through warm summer months. Autumn arrives with a brilliant transition into bright scarlet and crimson hues. Its strong upright framework and glowing dark leaves add dramatic elegance to any landscape.
10-Yr Height
8.0
10-Yr Width
6.0
Seasonal Foliage Spectrum
Spring: Deep Black-Red
Summer: Burgundy
Fall: Bright Scarlet
Sun Tolerance Ratings
Morning Sun
9 / 10
Afternoon Sun
7 / 10
☀️ Morning Sun Guidance:
Deep black-red spring leaves glow intensely when backlit by the morning sun.
☀️ Afternoon Sun Guidance:
Holds dark pigmentation exceptionally well through warm summer months.
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 · Rounded
Upright framework develops a rounded crown.
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 Moonfire
- Cultivar origin
- Red Maple Nursery, Media, Pennsylvania, United States
- Discovered / selected by
- Richard P. (Dick) Wolff
'Moonfire' is an American Japanese maple selected from a seedling by Richard P. Wolff of Red Maple Nursery in Media, Pennsylvania, according to Frank P Matthews Nursery. Brookgreen Gardens independently credits Dick Wolff with its selection in Pennsylvania, while MrMaple separately identifies him as its introducer. These accounts distinguish selecting the original plant from distributing the named cultivar. Gossler Farms Nursery reports that Wolff named it in the 1970s, but that does not establish an exact selection or introduction year. No verified named parents or controlled cross were documented. Trees and Shrubs Online also records its American origin and describes dark purplish-red foliage with a bluish sheen, good summer color retention, and crimson autumn leaves.
Explore the sources behind this story
Frank P Matthews Nursery — seedling selection by Richard P. Wolff; Red Maple Nursery, Media, PennsylvaniaBrookgreen Gardens — selection from seedlings by Dick Wolff in PennsylvaniaMrMaple — introduction attributed to Dick Wolff of Red Maple NurseryGossler Farms Nursery 2025–2026 catalog — named by Richard Wolff in the 1970sTrees and Shrubs Online — American origin and foliage characteristicsUSPTO Patent Public Search — portal accessed; cultivar-specific registry results unavailable through retrieved page; patent status unverifiedUSPTO Trademark Search — portal accessed; cultivar-associated registration not verified; trademark field left null
📊 Inventory and Pricing
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Pungo Maples Onsite Inventory
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