Acer palmatum 'Orion' Dwarf Red Japanese Maple

Acer palmatum 'Orion' is a dwarf witch's broom cultivar with deeply lobed, palmate foliage that displays brick-red spring growth maturing to maroon and olive-green tones, then transforming to bright yellow-orange in fall. The tree reaches approximately 3-4 feet tall by 5-7 feet wide at maturity (10 years), with a dense, spreading habit well-suited to containers and small spaces. According to the growers at Mr Maple, 'Orion' was discovered by Dick Wolf of Red Maple Nurseries as a broom mutation and is named for the constellation Orion, as its dramatic seasonal color shifts from spring reds to autumn golds make it appear to "light up" like a star. The cultivar tolerates full sun and benefits from excellent drainage, particularly when grown in containers; it also occasionally produces leaf variation within the same plant, with some leaves showing ruffled edges while others display shortened center nodes, though both forms maintain the same overall size and fall color.