In this strong Japonicum every leaf is divided into lobes starting almost at the attachment point of the petiole. Each lobe is further divided by irregular cuts all around which make it look like a fern leaf (hence the name filiciofolium).
There are generally speaking 11 lobes to each leaf, but they can vary between 7 and 13 on the same tree. The length of a leaf is between 7 and 17 cm and the width is between 6 and 14 cm. The petiole is reddish in colour.
The foliage is dark green and in Autumn it turns a deep bright scarlet shading into carmine and, sometimes, purple. The global appearance is bright red. The seeds, which are well visible and are enclosed in dusts of keys, take up a reddish-brown colour adding even more beauty to the whole tree. This is a well structured tree, not at all pendulous. It has an open and erect habit with many branches. When mature, it is a small tree, up to 5 metres in height, with rounded foliage.