Acer palmatum 'Shaina' (Dwarf red Japanese maple)
- Regular price
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€49,95 - Regular price
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- Sale price
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€49,95
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Frequently asked questions
Does a Shaina maple need pruning to maintain its rounded shape? No, its rounded shape is natural to this cultivar, and every cut creates gaps that its slow growth takes years to fill.
How often should you repot a dwarf maple? Every five to six years, compared with three years for a standard maple, as it grows much more slowly.
Shipping & packaging
Shipped within 24/48 hours via DPD
- Delivery in 2 to 5 working days
- Eco-friendly packaging: recyclable boxes and biodegradable materials
- Special protection so your plant arrives in perfect condition
- Tracking link sent by email as soon as your parcel ships
- Shipping costs and the free-shipping threshold depend on your country — see our delivery page
ZEN ARRIVAL GUARANTEE
We guarantee that your plants will arrive in perfect condition. If your plant arrives damaged or in poor condition:
- Contact us promptly at hello@verdeia.eu with photos
- We will find the right solution for your situation
- No return needed — we trust you
The guarantee covers: damage in transit, plants severely weakened on arrival, and order preparation errors.
CARE TIPS ON ARRIVAL
To help your plant settle in for the long term:
- Unpack your plant immediately and inspect it
- Let it acclimatize for 24-48h in a bright spot out of direct sunlight
- Check the soil moisture before watering (dry surface = light watering)
- Wait 2-3 weeks before repotting, if needed
- Keep it away from heat sources and drafts
- Gently wipe the leaves to remove dust
Need help? Contact our team at hello@verdeia.eu or via chat.
🍁 Dense brick-red foliage • 🪴 Dwarf and compact habit • 🏙️ Best suited to small balconies • ⛅ Partial shade to gentle sun • ❄️ Hardy down to -20 °C
Acer palmatum 'Shaina' is a dwarf cultivar with brick-red foliage, whose leaves cluster into very dense bouquets at the ends of short branches. Native to the forests of Japan and Korea, it is the most compact of the Japanese maples in the catalog.
Its distinguishing feature is its compactness: where a classic maple reaches 3 to 5 meters, 'Shaina' tops out at around 1.50 meters, forming a dense, regular ball. It is the only one in the range that can truly be grown on a narrow balcony without becoming cumbersome.
Which Japanese maple should you choose?
Eight cultivars in the catalog, with different colors, habits, and sizes:
- 'Shaina' (this plant) — brick red in a dense, rounded form, dwarf (2 sizes). The most compact.
- 'Bloodgood' — purplish red that holds all summer without turning green (2 sizes). The most stable red.
- 'Atropurpureum' — deep purple turning bronze (3 sizes). The most vigorous.
- 'Sangokaku' — coral-red bark in winter (2 sizes). The only one that is decorative without its leaves.
- 'Emerald Lace' — dissected emerald-green leaves, weeping habit (3 sizes). The airiest.
- 'Orange Dream' — orange shoots that turn soft green (3 sizes). The most changeable.
- 'Garnet' — cut garnet-red leaves, weeping habit (H40 cm | Pot Ø19 cm). The red dissectum.
- 'Going Green' — bright green with full leaves (2 sizes). The most understated.
Light & location
The Japanese maple dislikes both scorching sun and dry wind. 'Shaina' tolerates them slightly better than the others thanks to its thick, clustered leaves, but afternoon full sun from the south should still be avoided.
- Exposure: partial shade or morning sun — bright light intensifies the brick red.
- Location: terrace, patio, narrow balcony, entrance — sheltered from the wind.
- Hardiness in a pot: down to -20 °C.
- Soil type: moist, well-draining and acidic — ericaceous soil mixed with potting soil, never calcareous.
Its slow growth allows it to remain in the same pot for five to six years, compared with three years for a classic maple.
Watering & care
Japanese maple roots are shallow and are just as vulnerable to drought as to suffocation. A moist but well-draining substrate is the right combination, and the foliage always signals a problem before it worsens.
- Watering: regular — the substrate should remain moist from April to September, without ever becoming waterlogged.
- Water: strictly limescale-free — hard water alkalizes the substrate and causes chlorosis within two or three seasons.
- Mulching: essential in a pot — a layer of pine bark keeps the soil cool and gently increases its acidity.
- Pruning: unnecessary — the ball shape is natural to this cultivar, and no intervention will improve it.
- Fertilizer: fertilizer for ericaceous plants, once at the beginning of spring.
It is the least demanding maple in the range: a small volume of foliage, slow growth, infrequent repotting and no pruning required.
Decor ideas & plant pairings
Its dense ball reads as a solid volume rather than a branching structure: in a small space, this is an advantage, as the tree occupies a predictable floor area.
- For contrasting forms, pair it with 'Emerald Lace' — a compact red ball against an airy green cascade, the clearest contrast between two maples.
- To frame an entrance, place two identical ones on either side of the door — their natural regularity makes symmetry easy, which a classic maple does not allow.
- For a winter stand-in, add a 'Emerald Gaiety' euonymus — its evergreen variegated foliage fills the space when the maple is bare.
- To enhance the pot, a container in terracotta or natural fiber keeps the substrate cool and prevents the roots from overheating, which a black pot can cause.
Its regular silhouette makes it the only maple in the catalog suitable for use in a symmetrical pair, like a boxwood or a trimmed laurel.
Verdeia tips
- Choose it if you are short on space: 'Shaina' tops out at 1.50 meters where a classic maple grows to 3 or 4. On a narrow balcony, that is the difference between a tree you can keep for ten years and one you have to give away after three.
- Do not prune it to make it round: its ball shape is natural. Every cut creates gaps that slow growth takes years to fill, and wounds heal poorly in maples.
- Water only with non-calcareous water: the Japanese maple is an acid-soil plant. Hard tap water alkalinises the substrate and triggers chlorosis, the yellowing between the veins that weakens the tree season after season.
Technical specifications
- Botanical name: Acer palmatum 'Shaina'
- Common name: Dwarf red Japanese maple
- Family: Sapindaceae
- Origin: forests of Japan and Korea
- Dimensions on delivery: 2 sizes — H70 cm | Pot Ø19 cm or H90 cm | Pot Ø26 cm
- Habit: naturally dwarf, dense and rounded
- Mature height: 1.50 meters, compared with 3 to 5 m for a classic maple
- Exposure: partial shade or morning sun, sheltered from the wind
- Watering: regular, with the substrate kept moist during the season
- Water: non-calcareous water required
- Soil type: cool, well-drained and acidic, never chalky
- Hardiness: down to -20 °C
- Growth: very slow, no pruning required
- Foliage: deciduous, clustered brick-red leaves, scarlet in autumn
- Care: easy, the least demanding in the range
- Toxicity: 🐾 non-toxic to animals and children
- Decorative style: Japandi / Natural / Small spaces
Each plant is unique: the density of the ball, branching, and intensity of the red naturally vary according to growing conditions.
Your plant, delivered with care
Every plant is hand-packed in a box specially designed for plants — secured, protected, ready to travel. It arrives in perfect condition, roots intact and foliage preserved, ready to take its place in your home.
Our Verdeia commitments
FAQ – Everything to know before adopting your Verdeia plant
How are my plants prepared before shipping?
All our plants are selected from our European partner nurseries. Before shipping, they are watered, cleaned, and protected with breathable, secure packaging. Each package is designed to ensure your plant arrives in perfect health, without any transport-related stress.
Will the plant look exactly like the photo?
The photos accurately represent the variety and the stated size. Since each plant is unique, slight differences in shape, foliage, or color may occur — and that’s part of their charm.
What are the delivery times and conditions?
Orders ship within 48 working hours, with tracked delivery in 2 to 5 working days via DPD. Shipping costs and the free-shipping threshold depend on your country — see our delivery page. You receive a tracking link as soon as your parcel leaves.
What should I do when my plant arrives?
Open your package as soon as you receive it and carefully remove the plant from its packaging. Let it acclimate for 24 hours in its new environment before watering. If it has been slightly stressed during transport, it will recover its shape after one or two days in the light.
What should I do if my plant arrives damaged?
Contact us within 48 hours with a photo of the issue. Our team will assess the situation and offer you the best solution: replacement, partial refund, or recovery advice.
Can I return a plant?
Since plants are living beings, standard returns are not possible. However, we guarantee good health upon delivery: if the plant arrives damaged, it will be replaced free of charge. For any other cases (order error, decorative pot, accessory), returns are possible within 14 days.