The dissected leaf Japanese maple - Acer palmatum ’Viridis’ - shows character after 29 years.

Not pruning the maples is one of the most enjoyable jobs in the garden. When you explore the structure of your Japanese maples you will see that the tree has finished with some small twigs and branches - they are a tan color and leafless. Those can be snapped out leaving a wonderfully open framework of gnarled branches.