Acer oliverianum x 'Mystic Jewel' Japanese Maple

'Mystic Jewel' is a hybrid Japanese maple, likely an Acer oliverianum cross, valued for its dramatic and prolonged seasonal color display. Spring foliage emerges in lavender to purple tones with olive-yellow highlights along the veins, maturing to dark green or blue-green by summer while producing coral-pink to purple-red flushes; autumn color ranges from bright yellow to yellow with red splotches depending on conditions. A vigorous grower reaching 12-15 feet in ten years, it thrives in bright light and is reported to have strong heat tolerance, though hardiness testing beyond zone 6b remains ongoing. According to the growers at Mr Maple, this recently introduced cultivar, patented in Europe and newly available in the United States, was named by importer Peter Van Rissen for its mystical quality; it pairs well in mixed plantings with other heat-tolerant oliverianum hybrids, particularly cultivars with contrasting foliage such as 'Hot Blonde'.