Green Cascade Full Moon Japanese Maple

‘Green Cascade’ is a deciduous fullmoon maple with finely divided green leaves and naturally pendulous branches. Its layered crown remains compact when young and turns yellow, orange, or red in autumn, making this cultivar a distinctive specimen for a sheltered garden with room for its branches to spread. ## Form and seasonal interest The rounded leaves are deeply divided into 9–11 lobes, giving the canopy a lacy texture without making it a true laceleaf maple. Red-purple flower clusters open in spring as the leaves emerge, followed by brownish-red, winged seeds. Autumn color varies with weather and growing conditions, often combining yellow, orange, and red. Published size descriptions use different time horizons. Oregon State University reports a shrub about 4 feet tall after 10 years that spreads if it is not staked; the Morton Arboretum describes a shrub-like plant around 6 feet tall. The Royal Horticultural Society gives a mature range of 8–13 feet tall and wide over 10–20 years. Use the smaller figures as an early-growth expectation, not a guaranteed lifetime limit. Staking a leading shoot when young can establish the characteristic cascading outline; left unstaked, it develops a lower, broader form. ## Placement and growing conditions Use it as a focal plant near a patio, in a courtyard or Japanese-inspired garden, or where its layered branches can be seen against a simple background. Give it full sun or partial shade in a sheltered position. It does best in fertile soil that stays evenly moist but drains well. Protect the leaves from hot, dry, windy exposure, which can cause scorch on maples. The RHS lists clay, loam, sand, or chalk soils and acidic, neutral, or alkaline pH, provided drainage and moisture are suitable. ## Cultivar identity The RHS lists ‘Green Cascade’ as an accepted name and records an Award of Garden Merit from 2012. Bean’s Trees and Shrubs describes it as raised in the United States, but the sources consulted do not identify a confirmed breeder, trademark owner, or plant patent. Oregon State University and the RHS provide independent descriptions; Loen Nursery is a current nursery listing, not evidence of the cultivar’s origin. ## Sources - [Royal Horticultural Society: plant profile](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/86397/acer-japonicum-green-cascade/details) and [2015 AGM list](https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals-%281%29.pdf) - [Oregon State University Landscape Plants](https://landscapeplants.oregonstate.edu/plants/acer-japonicum) - [The Morton Arboretum: fullmoon maple](https://mortonarb.org/plant-and-protect/trees-and-plants/fullmoon-maple/) - [Bean’s Trees and Shrubs: Acer japonicum](https://www.beanstreesandshrubs.org/browse/acer/acer-japonicum-thunb/) - [Loen Nursery: ‘Green Cascade’ listing](https://www.loennursery.com/products/acr-jp-gcs) ## Maintenance Keep the root zone evenly moist during establishment and extended dry spells, and apply mulch while leaving the trunk base clear. If shaping is needed, train the leading shoot while young; the RHS recommends pruning only if necessary, from late autumn to midwinter. Avoid routine heavy pruning. A one-time early training decision helps determine whether the mature plant reads as a low, spreading shrub or a more clearly cascading specimen.