Acer palmatum ‘Little Sango’ Japanese Maple

‘Little Sango’ Japanese maple, also known as ‘Little Coral,’ is a rare and beautiful dwarf coral-bark tree. Its compact size and year-round color make it a standout focal point for small gardens, in groupings, on either side of an entrance, in a container, or for bonsai. It was originally a sport of ‘Sango Kaku’ and was introduced by Talon Buchholz of Buchholz Nursery in Oregon as part of the Flora Wonder Collection.
‘Little Sango’ is a dense, compact little tree. It grows 4″ to 8″ per year, attaining a height and width of 5′ × 4′ in 10 years. It leafs out in chartreuse with pink edges in spring, transitioning to a medium green color in the summer. By fall, the leaves turn yellow, orange, and gold before they drop. The most remarkable quality of this tree is the bright coral of the branches and twigs that hold their color all year, making it an eye-catching addition to a garden, even in the winter.
This Japanese maple is low-maintenance and remarkably easy to grow in USDA zones 5 to 9. It will tolerate more sun, heat, and humidity than most Japanese maples and thrive in either full sun or partial shade. Morning sun with afternoon shade works well in the hotter, most southern areas of its hardiness zones.
It prefers rich, organic soil with an ideal pH of 5-7 but is adaptable to any soil type — silt, loam, sand, or amended clay — as long as it is well-draining. Japanese maples prefer moist soil but don’t do well in soggy, low, poorly drained areas. It needs to be well-watered at planting and then watered weekly for a season or two until its roots become established. The tree will most likely be grafted, so keeping the graft union above the soil and mulch level is essential.
Companion plants need to have similar cultural requirements of moist soil and sun or partial shade as ‘Little Sango.’ Note that annuals may not be the best choice to plant nearby since they will need watering more frequently than a Japanese maple.
Evergreens, like pines, spruces, and hollies, provide a dark green backdrop for the colorful foliage and coral bark of the Japanese maple.
Flowering trees, such as dogwoods and Japanese snowbells, and shrubs, like hydrangeas, azaleas, rhododendrons, and mountain laurels, make a beautiful contrast with ‘Little Sango.’
Perennials such as lungwort, bleeding hearts, astilbes, coral bells, Hakone grass, hostas, ferns, sedums, and hellebores provide color and interest under and around the tree.
In addition to all its other excellent attributes, ‘Little Sango’ is deer, insect, and disease resistant.