Kevin Schafer / Pine (Pinus sp) and Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in autumn, Ginkakuji Gardens, Kyoto, Japan

Floris van Breugel / Emerging spring leaves adorn the mossy trees - Vine Maple (Acer circinatum) and Alder (Alnus rubra) in Mt Baker - Snoqualmie National Forest. Washington. April 2013

Floris van Breugel / Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) leaves floating in a small pond in late autumn in Seattle's Washington Park Arboretum. Washington USA

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Palmate or Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Sichuan, China

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Leaf in yellow from a Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) Tangjiahe National Nature Reserve, Qingchuan County, Sichuan province, China

Michael Hutchinson / Large bee fly (Bombylius major), hanging upside-down from Japanese Maple, Bristol, UK, May.

Tony Wu / Japanese maple (Acer sp) leaves, showing autumn foliage. Near Lake Kawaguchi-ko, Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan, November.

Tony Wu / California maple aphid (Periphyllus californiensis) adult female with a cluster of nymphs gathered on the underside of a Japanese maple (Acer sp.) leaf in the autumn. Kanagawa, Japan.

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves in fall, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves in fall, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees with conifers in fall, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees with conifers in fall, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees with conifers in fall, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) tree in fall, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) tree in fall, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) tree in fall at temple, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall, Kyoto, Japan

Cyril Ruoso / Maple (Acer sp) tree in a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation, Kansai Region, Japan, November 2008.

Cyril Ruoso / Maple (Acer sp) tree in a Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) plantation, Kansai Region, Japan, November 2008.

Ernie Janes / Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) Hoveton Hall Garden, Norfolk, England, UK, May.

Kevin Schafer / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) tree in autumn, Kyoto, Japan

Kevin Schafer / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves and roots on forest floor in autumn, Kyoto, Japan

Kirkendall-Spring / Hosta (Hosta sp) and Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) leaves with rain drops, Kabota Garden, Seattle, USA, May.

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) foliage in autumn colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) foliage in a bamboo fountain, Enkoji Temple, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) foliage in autumn colors, Enkoji Temple, Japan

Mark MacEwen / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) in Autumn Colours, Nagano, Japan.

Duncan Usher / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves in autumn, Hessen, Germany

Konrad Wothe / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) autumn leaves after first snow, Germany

Rob Cousins / Group of Japanese maple trees (Acer palmatum dissectum) showing autumn colour, Old Arboretum, Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, UK, October

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall colors, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) forest in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) forest in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Adrian Davies / Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) tree with autumnal foliage, UK, October

Adrian Davies / Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) dissectum cultivar with autumnal leaves, UK, October

Philippe Clement / Traditional tea house along pond and Smooth Japanese maples (Acer palmatum) showing leaves in colourful red and orange autumn colours at Japanese garden in Hasselt, Belgium October 2011

Nature Production / Japanese Red Maple (Acer pycnanthum) autumn leaves on white background, Japan

Aflo / Japanese squirrel {Sciurus lis} and Red maple leaves. Japan

Aflo / ic-07705 Japanese squirrel {Sciurus lis} + Maple leaves, Japan.

Aflo / ic-07701 Japanese squirrel {Sciurus lis} foraging on ground next to Maple leaves, Japan.

Philippe Clement / Japanese maple leaves (Acer palmatum) in autumn colours, native to Japan and Korea

Philippe Clement / Japanese maple leaf (Acer palmatum) in autumn colours, native to Japan and Korea

Philippe Clement / Japanese maple leaf (Acer palmatum) in autumn colours, native to Japan and Korea

Philippe Clement / Japanese maple leaf (Acer palmatum) in autumn colours, native to Japan and Korea

John Downer / Japanese maple leaf in autumn {Acer japonicum} Westonbirt arboretum, UK

Rob Tilley / Japanese Maple Leaves turning red {Acer japonica} Katsura, Kyoto, Japan

John Downer / Japanese maple leaves in autumn {Acer japonicum} Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, UK

Tim Fitzharris / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves covered with frost and frozen dew drops, Ontario, Canada

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) in fall colors, Shiga, Japan

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) fall colors, Shiga, Japan

Mitsuhiko Imamori / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) fall colors, Shiga, Japan

John Downer / Mixed woodland (Japanese Spruce & Maple) Hotaka Mountains, Northern Alps, Japan

David Noton / Autumn colours impression - Japanese maple leaves, Stourhead, Wiltshire, UK

David Noton / Autumn colours - Japanese maple leaves, Stourhead, Wiltshire, UK

John Downer / Japanese maple leaves (Acer japonicum) in autumn. Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, England, UK, Europe

John Downer / Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) leaves in autumn. Westonbirt Arboretum, Gloucestershire, England, UK, Europe

John Downer / Japanese maple (Acer japonicum) in autumn. UK, Europe

Nigel Bean / Smooth japanese maple leaves in autumn {Acer palmatum} Westonbirt arboretum, UK Gloucestershire

Nigel Bean / Smooth japanese maple leaves in autumn {Acer palmatum} Westonbirt arboretum, UK Gloucestershire

Niall Benvie / Smooth Japanese Maple leaves (Acer palmatum)

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves in fall colors, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall colors, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) trees in fall colors, Tenryu-ji Temple, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) forest in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) leaves in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) forest in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Hiroya Minakuchi / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) forest in fall colors, Kyoto, Japan

Shin Yoshino / Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum) autumn leaves in sunlight, Nagano, Japan

Adrian Davies / Maple seed (Acer sp.) fossil from the Oligocene period (c. 30 million years old), compared with modern day seed from tree of a similar species (Acer japonicum), studio environment.

Tony Wu / Leaves of Momiji Japanese maple trees (Acer) turning red in autumn. Kyoto, Japan.

Tony Wu / Autumn foliage of Momiji Japanese maple trees (Acer). Kyoto, Japan

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Autumn leaves of Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) and fern, Lu Shan, Taiwan

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Autumn leaves of Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) and fern, Lu Shan, Taiwan

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Autumn leaves, Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) Lu Shan, Taiwan

Staffan Widstrand / Wild Wonders of China / Autumn leaves, Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) Lu Shan, Taiwan