Geisha Gone Wild Japanese maple is a gorgeous pink and green variegated tree with brilliant magenta leaves emerging in the spring. As summer approaches, the intensity of the foliage begins fading to a soft pink before shifting to pale greens with hints of jade, cream, gray and purple. Bright yellow green bark adds even more eye-popping interest to this already stunning maple.
Geisha Gone Wild Japanese Maple Leaves
The Geisha Gone Wild Japanese maple is a seedling from ‘Geisha’ which was selected and named by Buchholz and Buchholz Nursery. The leaves are similar, but the plant is more vigorous. Instead of spotted variegation, it will have pink and cream margins like ‘Shirazz’. The leaves of the original Geisha cultivar tend towards the bubble gum shade of pink rather than the deep raspberry of Geisha Gone Wild.
Leaves growing on old branches of Acer Palmatum Geisha Gone Wild are smaller, more symmetrical and often colored pink with faint flecks of green. New growth foliage tends to be large and slightly deformed—but in a beautiful way. New leaves often have a long, sickle-shaped central lobe with a purple, gray or maroon coloration. Fall color is purple with orange tones.
This trait of larger leaves with less characteristic coloration is not unique to the Geisha cultivars. Another favorite tree of mine is the Ukigumo Japanese maple, also called floating clouds. It displays larger, less colorful leaves on first year branches and smaller white dappled leaves on older growth.
Size, Habit and Hardiness
The Geisha Gone Wild Japanese maple is a medium-sized tree, reaching about 6-7 feet tall and perhaps 4 feet wide in ten years. It tends to be slightly bushy with a few long lower branches and several leaders that eventually form a multi trunk canopy.
Geisha Gone Wild is a fairly hardy tree that’s able to withstand temperatures down to about -10º F, or USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 5a (although we’ve seen this cultivar thrive at lower temperatures than that.
Other Pink Japanese Maples
Looking for more pink Japanese maples? Acer Palmatum Shirazz is nearly identical to Geisha Gone Wild in every way. Another fantastic pink variety is Correlinium, who’s brilliant fuschia and salmon pink leaves will electrify your garden.
