Acer palmatum Iro iro

Introduced by Talon Buchholz, ‘Iro iro’ translates to ‘colour colour’ in Japanese aptly describing its multi-coloured leaves. This dwarf bushy tree typically reaches a height of 1.2 meters to 1,8 meters with a width half this size. The leaves have 5 to 7 lobes with moderately serrated edges. It is variegated and resembles Ikandi, as the variegation is stripey . Not all the leaves have the variegation, the other leaves are green, with soft purple pointed tips. In spring the leaves emerge chartreuse green with red edges and develop pink and cream variegations as the leaves mature, like ‘Higasa yama’. In summer the variegation softens into shades of medium green. In autumn, leaves turn vibrant red or orange. Some leaves on Iro iro may display asymmetry or irregularities. Most happy in morning sun and afternoon shade.