This tree can vary in size, from a large shrub to a small tree, and has many different varieties or cultivars. Cultivars have different characteristics such as weeping branches or finely dissected leaves, as seen in this Japanese maple. The leaves of this tree are deeply lobed and red or reddish-purple both in spring and fall. Like other maples, Japanese maples have paired, winged seeds, called samaras. Their's are red and ripen in early fall.