ACER PALMATUM DISSECTUM (CUT LEAF MAPLE)

This is the green leafed form of Dissectum. The plant weeps more than some of the other Japanese Maples. The leaves are deeply cut and delicate and emerge in spring pale green and remain like that all summer but the autumn is one of the finest of all the Maples - bright scarlet.

It's one of the classic slow growing Japanese Maples - 10ft after 20-25 years. Any reasonably well drained soil (but not chalk) but they need light or partial shade out of strong winds.

Because they're so slow growing, they're surprisingly happy in a pot but don't allow them to dry out. This can lead to the tips browning and full recovery probably won't happen until the following year.

The most enjoyable bit about growing these (apart from looking at them) is practising your gentle Creative Maintenance skills upon them. Creating a beautifully domed and balanced head, raising the crown (removing lower branches) to display the branch structure at the base and just snipping off dead bits. Great fun.

These plants are grafted so if you see an alien sprig appearing at the base, cut it off.

N.B. When clipping several plants with the same tool, have a bucket containing a 5% bleach solution and swish your blades around for 30 seconds between plants to sterilise them. This will help avoid the chance of cross contamination of disease.

As with all woody plants, plant high, exposing as much of the taper at the base of the trunk as possible. Allowing soil to accumulate round the base of a tree can be fatal. Keep very well watered when first planted.