Japanese maple

noun

: a maple (Acer palmatum) of Japan, China, and Korea with purple flowers and usually deeply parted leaves that is widely cultivated as a shrub or small tree

Examples of Japanese maple in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

While the adults chew on ornamental plants, fruit trees, berry plants, and many different shade and ornamental trees such as linden, Japanese maple, crepe myrtle, and flowering crabapple, the grubs feed on the roots of turfgrasses and vegetable seedlings, says Potter. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 7 May 2025

Ornamental trees are small, flowering trees such as dogwood, Japanese maple and cherry plum. —Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 15 Apr. 2025

Add to that the fact that the majority of Japanese maples in America are propagated and grown in the Pacific Northwest. —Neil Sperry, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Apr. 2025

Frequently Asked Questions Where is Japanese maple originally from? Japanese maple is a native of southeast Korea and central and south Japan, reaching Europe and North America in the 1800s. —Luke Miller, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1898, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for Japanese maple

• papal
• staple

Kids Definition

Japanese maple

noun

: a maple native to Japan, China, and Korea with usually green, red, or purplish leaves