'Shaina'.

'Fireglow' is pretty much the classic scaled down version of 'Bloodgood' - similar leaf size and texture, similar rich and very stable coloring, similar type of growth habit, but at about half size. Should reach about 15 feet.

Yes, according to the most recent edition of Japanese Maples (Timber Press) 'Fireglow' is "similar to the popular, well-tried and tested 'Bloodgood', but the leaves are not as deeply divided and it has a deeper, more intense, red color which stays throughout the summer, even in hot, sunny conditions" and "Although vigorous, it does not become as tall and widespread as 'Bloodgood', and makes an excellent garden or container plant. The original tree is only about 4 m after 30 years."

I mentioned 'Shaina' because it "originated as a witches'-broom which was reputed to come from 'Bloodgood'" - making it truly a dwarf 'Bloodgood' - "although the leaves are somewhat different, being much narrower and even more deeply cut." But it actually originated when "Richard P. Wolff of Red Maple Nursery, Media, Pennsylvania, discovered a witches'-broom on a 100-year-old 15-m tall Acer palmatum f. atropurpureum in the early 1980s, propagated and named it."

Fireglow or Emperor I

I would say 'emperor I' would get nearly as large as 'bloodgood'. 'Fireglow' would probably best, and it has a richer red color through most of the year from what I've seen.

Thanks. I'll start my hunt.

I did a little checking of my "Japanese Maples" by Vertrees of Timber Press. All are red trees and give you a range to check and select from:

'Bloodgood' 5-7 meters, upright red palmatum

'Chikumano' 3-5 meters, wide spreading palmatum deep, rich dark purple red, orange in fall, medium sized tree of spreading habit

'Fireglow' 4-5 meters, upright red palmatum

'Italy Red' 3-4 meters, upright red palmatum, description: This plant is very similar to 'Bloodgood' in leaf and habit except that it is slower growing and only reaches half its size. 'Italy Red' is very sturdy, tolerates wind and sun, and eventually forms a small upright tree up to 3 meters tall. It is worth considering for gardens in which 'Bloodgood' would be too large. The original plant is growing at Mountain Maples Nursery, Laytonville, California, run by Don an Nancy Fiers, who obtained it form Maplewood Nursery. It is thought to have been received from an Italian source, hence its name. This cultivar has also been misspelled 'Haly Red.'
This one may best fit your request for a dwarf 'Bloodgood.'

'Curtis Strapleaf' 3-4 meters upright red linearilobum

'Ko murasaki' 3-5 meters, upright red matsumurae

'Nigrum' 4-6 meters, upright red palmatum

'O kagami' 4-6 meters, upright red palmatum

'Shojo' 2-4 meters, upright red matsumurae

'Sumi nagashi' 4-6 meters, upright red matsumurae (I recently purchased this one myself for a specimen tree in a front bed. I needed a tree to the eventual height of about 15-18 feet and this one had the growth habit and color I wanted.)

'The Bishop' 4-6 meters, upright red palmatum

'Tsukushi gata' 4-6 meters, wide red amoenum

'Vandermoss Red' 4-6 meters, upright red matsumurae

If you do an internet search on these trees you will get Vertrees description of them most of the time since his book is the standard that is generally quoted. You can also call the specialty growers, tell them about your siting and purposes for the tree and they will give you a good idea of what they have that will fit you. When I bought the 'Sumi nagashi' I had 2-3 cultivars that I thought would work and I asked the grower to check in the field and see which one had the shape and size I wanted.

Amy

Shaina as well as several other dwarf reds are originally "witch's brooms" that developed from Bloodgood trees. The leaves do not look identical in shape to Bloodgood but have similar coloration.

You may not believe this but .. last week, I was at the nursery where I originally discovered, (and bought) my fireglow when, I stumbled upon .. a Dwarf Bloodgood!

I Swear to you .. That is exactly what it said on the tag!

Dwarf Bloodgood.

The nursery is called The Great Big Greenhouse.

BTW
Don't believe that stuff about Fireglows only growing about 6 inches a year!
When we bought ours, it was about 3 feet high.
It's over 7 feet tall now .. Two years later!

Mc

mrclose,

my reaction is one bloodgood got mislabeled as a fireglow. Wouldn't be the first time.

Hello. I have an Acer palmatum bloodgood on my veranda, and it is growing beautifully. However soon I won't have a lot of horizontal space for it. My question is how long do the branches grow until it starts growing taller? And, when is the best time for pruning it? I'm a little scared about pruning because I don't have experience!! Thanks for any suggestions

Actually it is my understanding that 'fireglow' grows rather quickly up until 10 or 12 ft before slowing down significantly. I haven't got one nearly that size so I can't vouch from experience, but this is what I've read from multiple sources that I don't recall at the moment.

Technically speaking of dwarf's, 'Skeeter's Broom' is a witches broom of 'Bloodgood'. And, if you have a pair of pruners, you can shape it anyway you'd like (or not).

Acer palmatum 'Skeeter's Broom' at the US National Arboretum, Washington D.C.
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Dax

Here is a link that might be useful: US National Arboretum May 2006

I live in Brooklyn, and would like to plant a dwarf Bloodgood in a (large) container. (Home Depot has a 'Dwarf Bloodgood now.) Any experience with growing these handsome trees in containers?

Italy red seems to me like the closest thing to bloodgood, but smaller in size. The leaf size/color and general stature of the tree is almost identical to bloodgood except it is smaller.

Shaina is very different, more bush-like and looses its purple coloring to a MUCH greater degree in the late summer. Skeeters broom is much more similar to Shaina than bloodgood.

Fireglow has a different color than bloodgood, more red, less purple.

-Brett