• Tree in a garden setting with other plants and trees in the background
1 2

Acer Shidava Gold

Acer Shidava Gold

Dwarf Japanese Maple

$120.00
$120.00
Sale Sold out
Taxes included.
Pot Size/Grade

Acer palmatum 'Shidava Gold' is a compact Japanese Maple grown for its luminous foliage and attractive year-round form. New leaves emerge soft yellow to lime-green in spring, mature to yellow-green through summer and finish with a brilliant golden-yellow autumn display before falling.

Once the leaves have disappeared, the young green stems provide another point of interest through winter. With its smaller stature and upright, compact habit, 'Shidava Gold' is particularly useful for small gardens, courtyards and Japanese-inspired planting where you want a feature tree without eventually needing a chainsaw and a very difficult conversation.

Why You'll Love Acer 'Shidava Gold'

  • Compact-growing Japanese Maple
  • Soft yellow-green spring foliage
  • Fresh lime to yellow-green summer colour
  • Brilliant golden-yellow autumn display
  • Attractive young stems provide winter interest
  • Excellent choice for smaller gardens
  • Can be grown in a large container
  • Cold and frost hardy
  • Beautiful contrast against dark green or burgundy foliage

  • Expected 5 Year Height 2.0 M Width 1.0 M

Is Acer Shidava Gold suitable for my garden?

Acer Shidava Gold is best suited in a position that gets

  • Partial shade
  • Full sun

Acer Shidava Gold is

  • Deciduous
  • Cold hardy

Acer Shidava Gold will thrive in soil that is

  • Clay
  • Sandy
  • Nutrient rich
  • Free draining

How to establish your Acer Shidava Gold?

Plant Acer 'Shidava Gold' in part shade to sun, preferably somewhere protected from strong winds and extreme afternoon heat.

For Canterbury gardens, a position with morning sun and some protection from hot north-westerly winds is ideal. Excessive sun, wind or drought can result in leaf scorch.

How to maintain your Acer Shidava Gold once established?

Water deeply and regularly during the first couple of growing seasons.

Don't just give it a quick splash around the trunk. A thorough soak encourages roots to establish into the surrounding soil.

Once established, continue watering during prolonged dry periods.

This cultivar is moderately sensitive to drought, and allowing the roots to become excessively dry can contribute to scorched foliage.

Apply a layer of organic mulch around the root zone each year.

This will help:

Retain moisture
Keep roots cooler through summer
Reduce weed competition
Improve the soil over time

Keep mulch slightly away from the trunk.

Apply a light application of balanced slow-release fertiliser in spring as new growth begins.

Japanese Maples don't need excessive feeding. Too much nitrogen can encourage lots of soft growth, so this isn't one of those plants where more fertiliser automatically means more fabulous.

Very little pruning is required.

Allow 'Shidava Gold' to develop its naturally compact form and prune only when necessary to:

Remove dead or damaged branches
Remove crossing or rubbing growth
Improve the shape of young trees
Remove unwanted shoots below the graft

Avoid repeatedly clipping it into shape – much of the appeal of a Japanese Maple comes from its natural branching structure.

Acer 'Shidava Gold' is very cold hardy and handles heavy frosts, making it well suited to cooler New Zealand gardens.

Once the golden autumn foliage has fallen, its younger green stems continue to provide subtle winter colour.

Newly planted trees benefit from mulch around the root zone during their first few winters.

Brown or crispy edges on Japanese Maple foliage are commonly caused by environmental stress rather than disease.

Watch for:

Hot, drying winds
Excessive afternoon sun
Drought
Inconsistent watering

A sheltered position and consistent soil moisture will make a big difference to how good the foliage looks by the end of summer.
View full details