Identification

• The dwarf Japanese maple is a small tree, often reaching less than eight feet in height, and is known for its brilliantly colored foliage. In some varieties it is a deep reddish-purple in spring and fall, sometimes changing to a bronze-green in the summer. Other varieties are green and change into bright copper, orange, red or yellow in the fall.
  
  

Disease

• Dwarf Japanese maples are susceptible to anthracnose, leaf spot, powdery mildew and root rot. While root rot can be destructive to these trees, most other diseases can be handled with the appropriate fungicide.
  
  

Insects

• Insects that can cause problems for the dwarf Japanese maple include aphids, which can result in leaf drop. However, many predatory insect species that feed on aphids will usually control an aphid infestation. Cottony maple scale can be a pest on dwarf Japanese maples, forming large cottony masses on the ground side of branches. Scales can be controlled with horticultural oil sprays. Borers can destroy dwarf Japanese maples if not controlled; however, controlling borers is often difficult if an infestation has been allowed to take over. Insecticides can control light infestations.