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There are many maples grown specifically for the colour of their leaves. Several have excellent red or purple foliage, few finer than this one, whose leaves open bright red and then deepen to a rich garnet colour. It needs a special position where it can be admired, with shelter from both late frosts and hot sunshine. Tolerates some lime, but colours better on neutral to acid soil. The Royal Horticultural Society has give it its Award of Garden Merit (AGM).