Sawa Chidori Japanese maple is another one of the sought after variegated varieties. It’s unfortunately less popular among Acer Palmatum collectors, often overshadowed by the more marketable “Ghost” cultivars. While it may not be as colorful as Amber Ghost, Sawa Chidori still puts on on a glorious show throughout the spring and briefly in the fall.

Cultivar Origin

The Sawa Chidori cultivar was first introduced in 1988. The name means “Marsh Plover,” most likely chosen for the resemblance to the bird’s speckled feathers.

Sawa Chidori Leaves

The show begins in April and May as the large burgundy buds begin to swell. When they finally burst, you’re greeted by pale, cream colored foliage surrounded by the tattered, deep maroon remnants of the buds. The colors are almost vintage-inspired: aged doilies and burgundy felt.

Acer Palmatum Sawa Chidori’s leaves emerge creamy white with rose and peach frosted edges and vibrant green veins. The soft amber shading of the leaves gives them a 3D appearance even when they’re completely flat.

Before long, the warm amber colors fade, leaving behind a mix of pale cream and glowing yellow-green tones with bronzed tips.

As June progresses, the yellows shift to vibrant greens, with shaded leaves retaining a milky white reticulation.

Sawa Chidori Fall Color

Finally, in the fall, the tree puts on a last fiery show of glorious red with a slight pinkish orange tone. The red leaves are absolutely spectacular against the green bark.

Bark Coloration

As you can see in the photos above, new growth is deep maroon and reddish brown, and older wood is a beautifully saturated pea green. It’s a stunning shift from to see the colors change from warm tones in spring to these cooler green tones in later summer.

Size, Habit, Hardiness

The Sawa Chidori Japanese maple is an upright tree that grows to about 15 feet tall and 8-10 feet wide at maturity. It generally grows about twelve inches per year.

This cultivar is quite full and bushy when healthy. Therefore, you may wish to prune it lightly to expose the green bark and the pale leaves within.

Acer Palmatum Sawa Chidori prefers mostly shade to retain more reticulated coloring. However, it will tolerate some sun without burning too badly. The tree is hearty within zones 5a – 8b.

Other Reticulated Japanese Maples

If you really love Sawa Chidori, you should explore some other reticulated trees. Here’s a short list of some of our favorites:

• Amber Ghost
• Sister Ghost
• First Ghost
• Grandma Ghost
• Ghost Dancer
• Mikazuki
• Amagi Shigure
• Peve Multicolor

Buy Sawa Chidori

If we are sold out of this tree, or you’d like to purchase a larger specimen than what we have listed, just send us an email. We frequently have, or can get, trees that aren’t listed in our website store.

Amagi Shigure Japanese Maple Leaves & Bark

Amagi Shigure Japanese maple has some of the most intense brick red colors I’ve seen in a tree. The spring colors have been described as eye-popping fuchsia, shifting to deep brick red with dark greenish black veins. Leaves that are more shaded take on a pale whitish-pink tone with vibrant green reticulation.

The chilly air of autumn brings flushes of red, orange and purple to the foliage.

Even the bark is amazing on this tree, older branches are a soft dusty gray-brown, while growth from a few years ago will be a pale grayish jade, and new growth will be a deep cherry-brown.  Amagi Shigure Japanese maple is full, but not dense, and slightly leggy in places (which is wonderful, because it gives you plenty of views of that bark)

History, Habit & Hardiness

Amagi Shigure Japanese maple was discovered in Japan, and while it resembles ‘Kasagi yama’, it holds it’s color much longer.  It also bears similarity to Purple Ghost from the Buchholz series, but is slightly smaller, and perhaps a bit less vigorous. While the tree is rated by most to be hardy down to -20°F, I find it a bit more delicate, and would recommend sheltering it if your winters dip below -10°F with windchill.

Acer Palmatum Amagi Shigure will grow to about 6 feet high and 3 feet wide in 10 years.

If there is only room for a few trees in your yard, I can’t say enough that you must save a spot for this spectacular Japanese Maple! You can buy it in our store here. If we’re sold out, contact us and we’ll special order one for you!

Mikazuki Japanese maple is a beautiful addition to any Acer Palmatum collection. An upright tree reaching about 8–10 feet in 10 years, Mikazuki won’t overwhelm a smaller garden. As with most Japanese maples, Mikazuki puts on an extraordinary show in the spring. This tree is like a pot of simmering strawberry and rhubarb. Saturated hues of bright watermelon, fuchsia and candy apple red are threaded with olive and grass toned veins.  As the leaves unfurl, shaded areas appear frosted and reticulated with a pale pink raspberry blush.

Mikazuki has some similarities to Olsen’s Frosted Strawberry. But, I find the color much more vibrant, and the leaves slightly larger. The habit of Olsen’s is also more squat, and horizontal, while Mikazuki reaches upward. It’s a rather fun growth habit in fact. Leaves tend to cluster in denser bunches and occasionally produce longer shoots which cluster again. In maturity this should offer some great views of the green bark through the richly colored leaves.

The name, Mikazuki, means “crescent moon” due to the thinly-lobed leaves. However, that’s not really the most descriptive name for this tree. I think something that captures the fantastic reticulated talon-like leaves, resembling hooked and scaly dragon claws, would have been more appropriate for the cultivar name.

Mikazuki is a fast growing Japanese maple that is quite hardy—at least to zone 5. It prefers more sun to get the best color, and even though reticulated maples usually do well with protection from mid day heat, Mikazuki can tolerate full sun.