Originally
introduced by Dick Wolf at Red Maple Nursery in Pennsylvania as Emperor 1 and
later patented under that name by someone in Oregon many growers grow this
plant as 'Red Emperor'. It does not matter what you call it, this is a great
plant. It is the most recent to claim the title Better Than 'Bloodgood' and in
some ways it is. 'Red Emperor does not burn in full sun in the Southeast, as to
how well it holds it's color, we find that in some landscapes it does as well
or better than other cultivars but in other situations it seems to turn green a
little quicker. We have yet to determine what causes this. Either way, this
tree will not disappoint you. Another advantage is that it usually leafs out a
few days later than 'Bloodgood' in the spring lessening the chance of frost
damage. The growth rate is very good, spring color is dark purple and fall
color is bright red.