Acer palmatum 'Bloodgood'

Acer palmatum Thunb. Sapindaceae. Japanese maple. Small tree. Distribution: Japan, North Korea. The cultivar 'Bloodgood' has red leaves. Used to induce tranquility in Japanese temple gardens. Can be tapped in early spring for its sugar-rich sap although it is not as abundant as in Acer saccharum. Photographed in the Medicinal Garden of the Royal College of Physicians, London.