Care for a Flowering Maple

Foliage

• According to Rebecca Slater and Dr. Leonard Perry at the University of Vermont, the foliage is, "usually trifoliate, resembling the genus Acer (hence the common name, flowering maple). Leaves can be medium green or speckled with gold. The gold results from a virus." The plant can be trained to grow as a bush by pinching back flowers and new growth.

Sun and Soil

• Flowering maples prefer full sun, unless the climate is unusually hot, in which case they will appreciate a little shade and still grow well. These plants do well in most well-draining soils. Outdoors, plant flowering maples 12 to 15 inches apart.

Pruning

• To train your flowering maple to grow as a bush, or to limit its height, prune it in the spring or fall. To limit growth even more, pinch back every new stem once the plant has reached the desired size. Flowering maples can reach a height of up to 10 feet, but flourish best when kept to a smaller size.

Water

• Frequency of watering will depend on the climate. For hotter, drier climates, water frequently; soil should be almost dry, but not so dry that it cracks. Be careful not to over-water, as it will affect root growth.

Houseplant

• The flowering maple may be kept indoors as a houseplant. Curb growth regularly by pruning, and give the plant fertilizer once a month. Avoid over-watering to keep the plant from growing too vigorously. As a houseplant, the flowering maple prefers temperatures around 70 degrees F.

Virus

• The striated leaves common to the flowering maple are caused by a virus. Called the abutilon mosaic virus, or AMV, this virus infects some of the cells in the leaves, making them white. Planting the bush in full sunlight will cause the leaves to be fully green instead of striated, and may even cause the virus to disappear. It is generally thought that the virus causes no damage, since it doesn't stunt growth or affect flowering, and will not transmit to other plants.