This Japanese maple is a large deciduous shrub with large palmate leaves with well-spaced lobes and elegantly serrated margins. On new spring branches, these leaves can simultaneously display three colors: glossy green, pink, and yellow-green. In summer, they take on a uniform bright green hue. The real spectacle occurs in autumn when on the same plant, one can admire leaves of various colors: green, yellow, bright red, and dark red. They grow fairly rapidly when young, but slower later on. They are cold resistant but sensitive to late frosts, and they are particular about soil: the ideal should be cool, loose, moist yet well-drained, slightly acidic, and clayey. Exposure should be half-shade or sunny, sheltered from strong winds. Partial shade becomes indispensable in sandy soils or in hot, arid locations.