Found as a witch's broom on 'Bloodgood,' this dense, bushy palmatum puts on a cool palette of lipstick colors from spring to fall: pink-red to sunset-red, even cool red in the heat of summer. Trees grow more vigorously in youth, then mature to a slower pace. Combine with a draping blue dwarf conifer in the courtyard bed or patio container for a dramatic, formal look.

Spring foliage