Acer palmatum subsp. matsumurae encompasses the Japanese laceleaf maples — the weeping, dissectum-group cultivars with deeply divided leaves and cascading habits that have been selected and cultivated in Japan for centuries. Growing 6 to 12 feet tall and often wider, these plants develop a broadly mounded, cascading form over time that requires minimal pruning to maintain. The leaves are so finely cut they seem to dissolve in the light, with autumn colours typically ranging from amber through orange to crimson depending on the cultivar.

They grow best in zones 5 to 9 in dappled shade or morning sun, in moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil. Rabbits avoid them. Given a sheltered position, adequate moisture, and space to develop their full cascading habit over decades, laceleaf Japanese maples become some of the most enduringly beautiful permanent features in the temperate garden.