'Red Dragon' will stay redder during summer than most varieties even in warmer climates.  The coarse leaves begin the spring dark purple and become more red as temperatures increase.  By mid August in Georgia when summer temperatures reach their peak and most other red varieties have turned green 'Red Dragon' still has some bronze or slight bits of red left on it's leaves. Fall color is a dramatic crimson red. The growth habit of  'Red Dragon' is not as pendulous as other weeping cultivars, at times almost prostrate.  While 'Red Dragon' will tolerate full sun in some climates, it would prefer a break from the sun at some point during the day in hotter areas. Although 'Red Dragon is reported to be a moderate grower in some climates, we find it to be very slow in the south. I do not recommend this variety for container plantings. Most credit Graham Roberts of New Zealand with introducing 'Red Dragon' in 1990, however, Dick Wolff of Red Maple Nursery in Pennsylvanian listed a tree as 'Red Dragon' in his catalog in the 1980s that he introduced and his notes say the tree was found in 1961.

10 Year Size   Height: 3-5 Feet      Width: 5-6 Feet