Cart ()

Coral Bark Maple

Acer palmatum 'Sango Kaku'

Height: 25' average mature height
Zones: 5-8 Find my zone
Habit: single stem or trunk
Foliage: deciduous
Size Availability

Sold out.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall. Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.

Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out.
Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: currently not in production; often we have replaced this variety with a better alternative but it is still in our catalog as we may produce limited batches in the future

A very attractive red-stem Japanese Maple that displays light green leaves against blood-red twigs. This variety is naturally upright and grows up to 25 feet tall and about 8 feet wide when left un-pruned. The leaves turn bright orange in the fall and after they drop the bright red stems add intense red color to the winter landscape. 

Also common known by the Japanese Name Senkaki.

Care and Receiving Your Tree
Like with other plants that are shipped bare root, you should plant your tree as soon as possible. When planting be sure to spread the roots out a little so they are not clumped together at the bottom of the hole. Japanese Maples want the top of their root crown to be covered with just an inch of soil - be careful not to apply heavy mulch directly on top of the roots as this can suffocate them. Water heavily as soon as you plant your tree but after that be careful not to over-water this beautiful specimen - Japanese Maples prefer long but less frequent watering. During the growing season we water our established trees for two hours once per week, depending on the climate and how hot/dry the weather is (maybe a little more frequently during the hottest part of the year and less frequently during spring and fall when it is cooler). If you are growing your Japanese Maples in containers be sure to use a well-drained soil mix (not peat or compost based, bark based soils do best) and water whenever the soil starts to dry out.

Japanese Maples do best when fertilized in the spring, we recommend a slow release pellet like Osmocote Plus in April. Don't apply fertilizer later than mid-June because it will encourage too much late season growth that will not have time to harden off enough for winter. The exact formula doesn't matter too much, we usually use 15-10-10 but any other works fine for Japanese Maples. Osmocote is the brand we use because it releases steadily for several months and so there is very little risk of over-fertilizing your plants.


Summer leaf color against the blood red stems
Source: Commons

Summer leaf color against the blood red stems
Source: Commons

Sample size of a one gallon tree, they are pruned back to around 16-18 inches tall

Packing Plants For Shipping

We pack our plants depending on the needs of each species and size, most plants ship best with the roots packed in moist sawdust or bark fines but some species don't like root disturbance and are shipped in a soil-less growing media.

Excess soil is washed from the roots in preparation for shipping (18-24" White Pines)

Plants are bundled together to fit in boxes

Bundles of plants are secured in long boxes.

Plant Sizes


3 gallon Dawn Redwood

Standard quart shrub

Standard 14-18" multi-stem tree size

Standard deep plug pine tree

Bamboo Plants Are Shipped In Their Containers

Bamboo roots are not flexible and so plants have to be shipped in their containers. These plants are heavier and are shipped separately from bare root plants. Because they are potted they can handle longer transit times so can ship via UPS Ground instead of USPS Air Mail. Potted plants can also be shipped year-round.

We regularly top our 1 gallon bamboo plants at 24-30 inches tall throughout the growing season. This results in dense, bushy foliage while allowing for economical shipping. From this size most running species will grow to 5-6 feet tall in the first spring and clumping species will usually grow to 4-5 feet tall.

1 gallon bamboo plants strapped in and ready to be sealed.

Unpacking Bare Root Plants

You will be sent tracking details as soon as your plants are shipped. Unpack your plants as quickly as possible after they are delivered. We use two types of boxes, side-sealing and top-sealing. For boxes that are taped along the whole length you can cut the tape on either side and remove the plant bundles by cutting the tape holding the bundle to the bottom. For boxes that are sealed on the top and bottom, it is easiet to open the bottom of the box (the shipping label is at the top) and pull the bundle of plants out straight out. Check that the box is empty as there can be a second bundle of plants stuck towards the top.


A bundle of trees.
When you are ready to plant, remove the trees from the plastic and soak the roots in a bucket of water for 30 seconds. Do not expose the roots to direct sunlight and do not allow them to dry out. When planting large quantities of plants we keep the plants in a black garbage bag to keep all sun and air flow away from the roots and pull each plant as soon as the planting hole is ready. Water the soil well right after planting.

What if I am not able to plant right away?

You can usually leave the plants in their shipping container unopened for 1-2 days if there were no shipping delays and you have received your plants from late November through February. Plants shipped when it is warmer can't stay in their packages for as long.

For longer term storage of plants you can pot them up or plant them in rows close together temporarily and then pull them out later in the spring to be planted again. This keeps the roots moist while allowing for air flow to the tops. The roots should have good contact with the soil to ensure they have access to adequate moisture.
Size Availability
Sold out.
Our main crop of most plants is available starting in late fall. Additional batches of plugs and quarts are added throughout the year.

Many of our plants are propagated in limited quantities and can sell out quickly when posted, get on the notification list below so you don't miss out.
Add your email to be notified as soon as we have them back in stock:
This does NOT subscribe your email to any mailing lists, our system will only send an inventory notification message.
Production notes: currently not in production; often we have replaced this variety with a better alternative but it is still in our catalog as we may produce limited batches in the future

* Shipping Rate Information

Most plants that ship with washed roots ship at a flat rate with free shipping for ordres over $75. Some plants, such as bamboo that are shipped potted, have rate tables based on the quantity and delivery location. Washed root plants ship free with any rate table plant even if the total of the washed root plants is less than $75. Delivery surcharges such as Remote Delivery Area are in addition to the standard shipping and are applied by shipping carriers to addresses with excessively long delivery routes, or those with difficult access such as those on islands that require ferries for delivery. Free shipping does not apply to delivery surcharges.
Red Panda Nursery       Medford, Oregon       info@redpandanursery.com       Privacy Policy
By using this site you agree to our Terms and Conditions