I like the Full-Moon maple, Acer japonicum, which is native to Japan and Korea. It is a similar to the widely popular Japanese maple, Acer palmatum, which is also native to Japan, Korea China and Russia. The Full-Moon maple has slightly larger leaves than the Japanese species. However, the main difference is in the leaf shape. Japanese maples have five, seven and rarely nine acutely long serrated leaf lobes which are often extend to the main petiole. While the Full-Moon maple has seven to 13 serrated leaf lobes which are not as long and look like a full moon shape with the shorter leaf lobes. In early spring the young foliage of Full-Moon maples have a white downy hair which is gone by the summer.

There are only a handful of Full-Moon maple cultivars, with the Golden full-moon maple the most popular because of the bright yellow spring growth. Japanese maples, on the other hand have well over 1,000 different cultivars.

During the past 50 plus years have learned that both maple species can be easily trained for bonsai. The Full-Moon maple appears to be more winter-hardy than the delicate Japanese maple cultivars. The Full-Moon maple has larger leaves and thick heavy twigs, not the thin branches characterized by Japanese maples. The Full-Moon maple does not respond well to summer defoliation and sometimes will not leaf out until the following spring. Even if leaf defoliation is successful, the twigs will continue to develop into a coarse twigs and branching. This is no problem because the leaves are fewer and larger. Big specimen Full-Moon maples are more commonly seen. However, I have seen several shohin sized Full-Moon maple bonsai with proportioned size leaves. The flowers of Full-Moon maples are larger and more attractive than the Japanese maples. The flowers of both species develop into winged-seeds called samaras.

The foliage buds on Full-Moon maples are a bit more pointed and larger. Often the leaves do not drop in autumn and must be carefully removed by hand. This characteristic of retaining some foliage throughout the winter is called “marcescence” which is common with Beech and Oak. Often the old dried out leaves persist to protect the young buds for spring growth.

Golden Full-Moon Maple

Acer japonicum (shirasawanum) ‘Kinkakure’ ‘Aureum’

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