I have one of these in my front yard. The Atropurpureum Nana is a generic "red leafed" maple. It is not a specific named maple and can come in a red to green variety. My tree is bright red then darkens over a few weeks. Like all maples this one appreciates afternoon shade, but do remember that the leaves do burn in full sun.

nobreyner,

Thank you. Mine has bright red new growth and the older leaves are much darker. I love "generic". At least it was one I could justify buying for the price.

Red to green = seed strain, rather than a grafted clone. Apparently somebody is putting seedlings on the market without even bothering to weed out the ones that aren't red, let alone making sure their stock is dwarf. Same thing has been done here with so-called 'Bloodgood'.

Should be 'Atropureum Nanum', with same endings for both words--not that this is an established, accepted cultivar name. Probably made up to make an introduction sound good, if post-1959 illegitimate (being Latin). Don't see it even mentioned in latest edition of Vertrees/Gregory, JAPANESE MAPLES.

Alot of new cultivars are not listed in vertrees ..but this one sounds like a load of you know what.I agree i don't know how a seedling tree can ever be specified a dwarf when the atro is a large tree and even a seed off a dwarf may not turn into a dwarf i assume ???... As I understand it the bloodgood was originally from a atro...and then grafted to become a specific tree ( pretty sure on this but I'm sure someone would know for sure) .I would guess alot of newer cultivars are from the atro as they have similarities to it... using it in the name ( atro this and that) sounds like a seedling tree to me...nothing wrong with that per say but it probably aint a specifically engineered tree that is reproduced true to it's stated form. BTW I as well as many of you have atros, mine is I think from seed so it is probably differnt than many of yours and vis a versa...and it is a really nice tree similar to the blood...but not as dark and doesn't hold up to sun as well...but to the untrained eye you'd be hard to tell the differnce...guess thats how they pass off atros as bloods ...David

Mine has no green on it. So, am I correct in stating that what I have is a "Japanese Maple", but an unaccepted cultivar? Sandi

sandi...Unless someone has additional info on this tree I would say you most likely have a plain red atropurpureum which is nothing to poo poo about unless you paid an arm and a leg for it...it will most likely be a lovely tree ...mine is gorgeous about 10+ years old and about 18 ft tall x 12 ft wide..if you want a jpeg of it email me personally but I have given up posting photos here!!! ...Please keep us informed on the growth ...but if I were you i would probably put it somewhere where it can grow just incase it is not a dwarf ...now it may be but I am suspicious.. but then if you knew me and my half empty attitude you might take my comments with a grain of salt ;>0 David

Thanks everyone. David, I paid very little for the tree so I'm quite happy with it. I do hope it's a dwarf though as I have no place for a larger tree. I'm going to keep it potted until we move in 2 yrs. It's only abt 3' tall so I shouldn't have any problem with it in a pot.

Fully dwarf cultivars are markedly more dense and twiggy than those of normal habit, if yours doesn't look like a broom now it won't be a dwarf.

Regarding lots of new ones not being in Vertrees/Gregory, any being called a Latin cultivar name should have been named prior to 1959. Of course, there are people not following the protocol and putting out new garden plants with Latin cultivar names. But it seems enough know the protocol - or have other motivations, like asserting breeder's rights - that the odds are probably much less that an undetermined Latin cultivar name will be a new (and thus illegitimate and needing to be replaced) name than an old one.

Due to the amount of time that has elapsed--allowing numberous purpleleaf seedlings to be put on the market in its place--the original 'Atropurpureum' cultivar name should be replaced by f(orma) atropurpureum in everyday usage. This covers any and all purpleleaf Japanese maples, which is what is often sold as 'Atropupureum'--a grab bag of seedlings whose only distinction is that they are more or less purple-leaved.

There is a grafted clone 'Atropupureum' of superior character still on the market in Europe.