The main characteristic of this maple is the arrangement of the leaves along the twigs and of the twigs on the branches, which gives this cultivar its compact and 'stocky' appearance. The twigs are short and strong.
The leaf is 3-5 cm wide and long, with marked veins which make the surface look almost wrinkly. The edges are curled upwards, sometimes convolute, and in the majority of the cases they form a V shaped blade. The majority of the leaves is more wrinkled along the lobe margins which are deeply marked. The leaves are deep green in colour and their texture is very strong and thick to the touch. The colour lasts throughout the Summer even under full sunshining conditions.
The autumn colouring is an extraordinary combinations of gold with crimson and pinkish shadows. The look of the plant changes as the seasons change and this makes it even more attractive. It is generally a slow growing plant reaching a height of 2 metres maximum. Under very good soil conditions the plant can grow very big in few years, pruning will enhance its thick and highly branched appearance.