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Quick Guide
- Deep red-purple foliage, turning crimson in autumn
- Upright small tree, ideal for gardens
- H5 hardy, full sun or partial shade
- Fast-growing Japanese maple, emerges late spring
- Excellent for containers and year-round interest
Acer palmatum 'Red Emperor' is an upright, fast-growing Japanese maple prized for its outstanding foliage. The deep red-purple leaves emerge in spring—later than many cultivars, avoiding frost damage—and hold their vibrant colour throughout summer before intensifying to brilliant crimson in autumn.
An improved cultivar compared to Bloodgood, Red Emperor boasts superior colour retention and more vigorous growth. The elegant, 5-7-lobed leaves create a dense canopy ideal for providing year-round structure and interest in borders, small gardens, or containers.
Plant in moist, well-drained, acidic soil in partial shade to full sun; partial shade produces the finest leaf colour. Water freely in dry spells and protect young plants from strong winds. Rated H5, it is reliably hardy to -20°C, making it suitable for most UK gardens.
Plant Guide
Plant in moist, well-drained, acidic soil (pH 4.5–6.0) with dappled shade; full sun is tolerated but partial shade preserves leaf colour. Water consistently in the growing season, increasing during dry spells. Feed in March with ericaceous fertiliser. Prune lightly in June; undertake larger pruning in late winter (January–February) while dormant. Young plants benefit from shelter and staking for upright growth. Container-grown specimens thrive in ericaceous compost and should be repotted every three years.
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EAN code044939
- Ultimate Height4-8m
- Ultimate Spread4-8m
- Foliage ColourMaroon - Red
- SunlightFull Sun or Partial Shade
- UK Hardiness ZoneH5
- Care GuideModerate
- Season of InterestYear-round
- Growth RateFast
- Foliage TypeLarge Broad Leaves
- Soil TypeLoamy, well-drained
- Soil PHAcid
- Pot Size Litre20
Delivery Areas
We deliver within the M25 area of London. For deliveries of Pots & Planters outside this zone, we may be able to help on a case-by-case basis — please contact our sales team at [email protected]. You are also welcome to visit our garden centre in Kentish Town, where our team will be happy to help in person.
Delivery Costs & Delivery Day
Delivery charges are based on postcode zone within the M25. Enter your postcode at the top of this page to see your zone and cost, or check at checkout. You can also select your preferred delivery day at checkout.
Delivery Timeframes
We aim to deliver orders within 2–4 working days. During peak seasons, such as Christmas, delivery times may vary slightly due to increased demand. We will keep you informed at every stage.
Third-Party Couriers
For London postcodes outside a 5-mile radius of our Kentish Town garden centre, we may occasionally use a third-party courier for delivery. In these cases, we try our best to still deliver the items in the requested delivery time slot but please be aware that occasionally this may not always be possible and is out of our control.
Delivery Discrepancies
Please check your order as soon as it arrives. If there is any discrepancy — such as a missing, incorrect, or damaged item — please contact us within 48 hours of delivery so we can put things right. After this time, we will assume the order was received complete and in good condition. We are unable to take responsibility for damage that has occurred after this period.
Click & Collect
We encourage you to collect from our garden centre in Kentish Town — it saves on delivery costs and gives you the chance to see our full range of plants and products in person.
All Click & Collect orders must be collected within 7 days of being ready, unless a later date has been arranged with us in advance. If an order is not collected within this time, it will be cancelled and a refund issued.
Returns Policy
If you need to return an item, please contact us within 14 days of receipt to arrange a return or exchange. Products must be in their original condition and packaging. Plants may be non-refundable unless they arrive damaged or defective.
Items bought in-store or collected can be returned directly at the garden centre. If you would like us to collect a return and it is in good condition (e.g. you have changed your mind), it must be in its original condition, and the same delivery cost will apply for the return.
Plants marked as reduced for end-of-season clearance are non-refundable, as they are sold specifically to clear stock. This does not apply to special offers or multibuy promotions, which are eligible for returns as per our standard terms.
Questions about delivery or returns? Email [email protected] or call +44 (0) 20 7284 4999.
| Located in Kentish Town, London, Boma garden centre is proud of its vision to transform the city into an urban paradise. The garden centre has created a plant lover's paradise, a place where you can relax, unwind and de-stress among the foliage and flowers. The Webshop makes it easier to order online if you can't get to the garden centre, with nationwide delivery. But we encourage plant lovers to pop in for a visit and chat with the team. |
Creating an urban paradise
Our dream is to transform urban living into a plant lovers' paradise. Making our neighbourhoods a wonderful place is good for our wellbeing and more friendly to the environment. A shared vision that gets us out of bed in the morning.
We've curated a botanical sanctuary
Our team of horticulturists planned our garden centre to show plants in their natural habitat, with inspirational displays. Looking for plants is like taking a walk in a botanical sanctuary.
And for those that consider our canine friends an essential part of life, bring your best mate along. Hopefully, they'll get along with our house cat Blue Bell.
It so happens we stock some fabulous plants
Our garden centre specialises in rare specimen plants beyond the common garden varieties. We also stock everything you need to cultivate your dream garden, home and office, with the largest range of plants, pots and containers in North London. Apparently, visitors consider us The gardener's garden centre.
Recommended by Customers
Buy Acer palmatum 'Red Emperor' (Pot Size 20L) Red Emperor Japanese Maple at The Boma Garden Centre in Kentish Town, London. Visit our garden centre in London and check our wide range of plants & gardening products. We also offer many other products in our webshop. We look forward to seeing you soon!