Acer diabolicum is a deciduous tree native to central and southern Japan in the maple family (Sapindaceae). The common name and the Latin diabolicum both refer to the distinctive seed husks, which are covered in spiny protrusions suggesting something more sinister than a tree that is, in practice, entirely agreeable. Growing 20 to 30 feet tall in zones 5 to 7, it develops into a sturdy, rounded specimen with large five-lobed leaves that turn yellow-orange in autumn.

It is little known outside botanical gardens and specialist collections — a curious oversight for a tree with genuine landscape value. It performs well in temperate gardens with reasonable moisture and drainage, tolerating the usual disruptions of garden life without drama. Moths visit the yellow spring flowers. For the gardener looking for an unusual Japanese maple relative that will not provoke the anxious care that more celebrated Japanese maples sometimes demand, Devil Maple is a quietly satisfying choice.