Family Aceraceae – Maples


Family Aceraceae – Maples

sugar and black maples at the Morton Arboretum

Sugar and black maples at the Morton Arboretum

Maples are some of our most beloved trees. They offer a great variety of form, size, and foliage; many display striking autumn color. Maples grow to 45 meters (145 ft), or occur as shrubs less than 10 meters tall. Most are deciduous, but a few in southern Asia and the Mediterranean region are evergreen. Most are shade-tolerant when young, and are often late-successional in ecology; many of the root systems are typically dense and fibrous. A few species produce root sprouts which can develop into clone colonies.

Snakeskin Maple - Acer grosseri
Snakeskin Maple
State Street® Miyabe Maple - Acer miyabei 'Morton'
State Street Miyabe Maple
Striped Maple - Acer pensylvanicum
Striped Maple
Autumn Blaze Maple
Autumn Blaze Freeman Maple
Maple Leaves

Typical Maple Leaves

Maples are distinguished by opposite leaf arrangement. The leaves in most species are palmate veined and lobed, with 3 to 9 (rarely to 13) veins each leading to a lobe, one of which is central or apical. A small number of species differ in having palmate compound, pinnate compound, pinnate veined or unlobed leaves. [1]

Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
Norway Maple "Crimson King"
 “Crimson King”

Coleman Sugar
White Tigress Maple
White Tigress Maple
Red Maple
Red Maple

Maples are important ornamentals for lawns, along streets, and in parks. They offer a great variety of form, size, and foliage; many display striking autumn color. The red maple (A. rubrum) is one of the most common trees in its native eastern North America, where it tolerates compacted wet soils and city pollution.

Hornbeam Maple
Hornbeam Maple
Miyabe Maple - Acer miyabei
Miyabe Maple
Paperbark Maple
Paperbark Maple
Ivy-leaved Maple
Ivy-leaved Maple

Box elder (A. negundo) grows quickly to 30 – 50 ft (9 -15 m) and resists drought, so early prairie settlers planted many for shade and for wood to make crates, furniture, paper pulp, and charcoal. The watery, sweet sap of the sugar maple is boiled down for maple syrup and sugar; the wood of certain maples is used for furniture.

Green Mountain Sugar Maple

Green Mountain Sugar Maple

Schlesinger Red Maple - Acer rubrum 'Schlesinger'
Schlesinger Red Maple
Autumn Flame Red Maple - Acer rubrum 'Autumn Flame'
Autumn Flame  Maple
Bowhall Red Maple - Acer rubrum 'Bowhall'
Bowhall Red Maple

Temple’s Upright Sugar
Tilford Red Maple - Acer rubrum 'Tilford'
Tilford Red Maple
Painted Maple - Acer mono
Painted Maple
Durand Dwarf Amur Maple
Durand Dwarf Maple
Freeman's Maple
Freeman’s Maple
Hedge Maple - Acer campestre
Hedge Maple
Hairy-veined Maple - Acer barbinerve
Bearded Maple
Tschonoski Maple - Acer tschonoskii
Tschonoski Maple

Deep-Veined Maple
Trident Maple - Acer buergerianum
Trident Maple
Armstrong Freeman's Maple
Armstrong Freeman’s Maple

Japanese Maple

Amur Maple – Acer ginnala Armstrong Freeman’s Maple – Acer x freemanii ‘Armstrong’

Autumn Blaze Maple – Acer x freemanii ‘Autumn Blaze’

Autumn Flame Red Maple – Acer rubrum ‘Autumn Flame’

Bearded Maple – Acer barbinerve

Bowhall Red Maple – Acer rubrum ‘Bowhall’

Coleman Sugar Maple – Acer saccharum ‘Coleman’

Deep-Veined Maple – Acer argutum

Durand Dwarf Amur Maple – Acer ginnala

Flowering Plants Index

Globe Norway Maple – Acer platanoides ‘Globosum’

Green Mountain Sugar Maple – Acer saccharum

Hedge Maple – Acer campestre

Hornbeam Maple – Acer carpinifolium

Japanese Maple – Acer palmatum

Marmo Freeman’s Maple – Acer x freemanii ‘Marmo’

Norway Maple Tree – Acer platanoides “Crimson King”

Red Sunset Maple – Acer rubrum ‘Franksred’

Schlesinger Red Maple – Acer rubrum ‘Schlesingeri’

Shantung Maple – Acer truncatum

Snakeskin Maple – Acer grosseri

State Street Miyabe Maple

Striped Maple – Acer pensylvanicum

Sugar Maple – Acer saccharum

Temple’s Upright Sugar Maple

Tilford Red Maple – Acer rubrum ‘Tilford’

Tree Encyclopedia Main Page

Tree Encyclopedia Index

Trident Maple – Acer buergerianum

Tschonoski Maple – Acer tschonoskii

White Tigress Maple – Acer tegmentosum

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