Shaina

Character & interest

‘Shaina’ is a structural cultivar: tight silhouette, dense branching, and a red colour that stays present all season (with nuances). It delivers the “red Japanese maple” effect in a compact format, without the spread of a large palmatum.

Colours

• Spring : bright red on the young leaves.

• Summer : dark red / burgundy (sometimes more “mahogany” in shadier areas).

• Autumn : crimson to a brighter red.

Habit & vigour

Upright habit, then rounder with age; very compact. Slow to moderate growth.

Indicative size

Observed orders of magnitude depending on sources and training:

• around 1.5 to 2 m,

• sometimes up to 3 m in good conditions (maximum value given by some references).

Exposure

Gentle sun / bright partial shade. A sheltered position (dry wind, scorching sun) helps keep the foliage clean.

Origin & history

‘Shaina’ is generally described as a sport (witch’s broom) arising from a red maple of the ‘Bloodgood’ type. Attribution is not perfectly consistent across sources: several indicate a discovery credited to Richard P. (Dick) Wolff (Red Maple Nursery, Pennsylvania), while others mention an initial discovery/presentation via Greer Gardens (Oregon) and distribution around the late 1980s. In any case, the core idea (a compact ‘Bloodgood’-type sport) is consistent.