Men usually get mad when women describe colours with expressions like salmon pink, peachy red etc. Well, men, get ready for another hit below the belt: we have a tree whose leaves are SHRIMP pink. Not familiar with that colour? Go to the nearest restaurant and have a prawn-cocktail to see what the fuss is all about …

The name itself evokes an unusual, highly valued plant which this small tree definitely is. It grows about 3m tall with a 4m wide crown. Its leaves are soft shrimp pink, changing to golden-yellow and maturing green in summer. They are mostly moderately lobed. Yellow-green flowers appear in April and May and are followed by clusters of red-winged fruit in late summer.

It is soil adaptable, provided it is well-drained. Plant it in full sun. This sycamore grows slowly and needs no pruning or trimming whatsoever. Fully hardy to -34°C (USDA zone 4).