Acer palmatum 'Ghost Dragon' Japanese Maple

'Ghost Dragon' is a strongly weeping Japanese maple with deeply lobed, palmate leaves that cup downward and display purple-tinted margins in spring. The cultivar is notable for its pronounced cascading habit, making it well-suited to training as a fountain-form specimen when staked, or for container cultivation, and it transitions to bright orange-red in autumn. Under moderate light conditions with gradual spring emergence, the foliage exhibits reticulated variegation, subtle cream or pink etching across the leaf surface, a characteristic that inspired the cultivar name, combining "ghost" (referring to the variegation pattern) with "dragon" (from *ryu*, the Japanese term for weeping forms). According to the growers at Mr Maple, 'Ghost Dragon' is an F2 seedling selected from their trials as a sister to 'Looking Glass Falls', chosen for its unique blend of weeping habit with variegated coloration; the reticulation is most pronounced in plants given morning sun with afternoon shade and moderate nutrient levels, while specimens in full sun or warm climates may display more subtle patterning.