The difference between Japanese maple and red maple

1. Leaf Difference

The leaves of the Japanese maple are papery, round, 6 to 10 cm in diameter, heart-shaped or nearly heart-shaped at the base, with 5 to 9 palmate lobes, usually 7 lobes, the lobes are lanceolate, the front end of the leaves is sharp, the edges have sharp serrations, the depth of the lobes reaches 1/2 or 1/3 of the diameter of the leaf, and there is no hair on the leaf surface.

The leaves of red maple are simple and alternate, usually clustered at the top of branches. The leaves are deeply palmately lobed, with 5 to 9 lobes that reach the base of the leaves. The lobes are long ovate or lanceolate, and the leaf edges have sharp serrations. The leaves are red in spring and fall, and purple in summer.

2. Flower Differences

The flowers of the Acer palmatum are purple, with umbels and a peduncle 2 to 3 cm long. There are 5 sepals, which are ovate-lanceolate, and 5 petals, which are elliptical or obovate, with obtuse tips and about 2 mm long.

The red maple has umbel inflorescence, the inflorescence is usually terminal, and it is a polygamous flower.