Acer pseudosieboldianum or the Korean Maple tree, also known as the Purplebloom Maple, is a species of plant that is native to the Korean peninsula, southern parts of the Russian Far East, and Northern China.

Description

It is present in either a small tree or shrub, and is deciduous. It grows about 12-18" per year . At maturity, the tree can reach between 15 to 20 feet.

The leaves are about 4-6" in width and have about 9-11 lobes. The leaves start out green, but change to various shades of red, yellow and orange by the fall.


The flowers they produce are white with purple bracts. New growth produces white, sticky hairs. This distinguishes them from the similar looking ‘’Acer sieboldianum’’ which does not have these hairs. It can live for about 70 years, maybe more.


While the tree does contain bark, it is not especially thick. This can be problematic in winter months if subjected to strong winds which can damage the bark. If there is an opening in the bark, potential threats like insects or fungi and disease can get in and infect the tree. The main disease that effects this species is called canker disease which causes infected sites to dieback.

Distribution

Acer pseudosiemboldianum is natively found in Russia, Korea and China. It can be grown in Zones 4-9 . It was also grown in North Dakota which is USDA Zone 3 (-40°C to -30°C), and was able to withstand a temperature of -43°C.

Uses

The Korean Maple tree is mostly used as an ornamental plant. People will sometimes plant this tree instead of the Japanese Maple tree because it is hardier, thus it can withstand a colder climate. It is low maintenance, so it does not need to be pruned very often. It’s recommended that you only prune in the summer.This is because like other trees, this maple produces sap so if you prune too early you could get some sap flow that weakens this small tree.