Growth form: Paperbark Maple is a small tree that grows up to 30 feet tall. It is usually oval in shape with several secondary trunks.
Leaves, twigs, and bark: Leaves of paperbark maple trees are compound, trifoliate, and opposite. They are toothed and between 3 and 5 inches long. the twigs are brown and slender. Their bark is unique it curls and revels a reddish brown color underneath.
Leaves of Paperbark Maple tree # 511 showing the toothed leaves. (Photo by H. Peters 10/24/2019)
Bark of Paperbark Maple tree # 511 showing the unique bark. (Photo by H. Peters 10/24/2019)
Flowers: Paperbark maple trees bloom in the early spring. They have 1 inch clusters that hang.
Double winged fruit of Paperbark Maple photo retrieved from http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/DENDROLOGY/images/Acer%20griseum/fruit1.jpg
Fruits: Thefruit is a double winged samara. They are a reddish brown color in the fall and are usually 1 to 1 1/2 inches long.
Native range and habitat: Paperbark maple trees are native to Central China. They usually grow in mixed forests. Prefers moist well drained soil. The Paperbark Maple is planted throughout the US even though it isn't native to the US.
Map shows where in the US Paperbark Maple is planted. http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/images/Acer%20griseum/map.jpg
Plant Family: This family has opposite leaves that are palmate. They all have winged seeds in pairs.
Ecologic Importance and Uses:
Edible and Medicinal Uses: No edible or medicinal uses.
Wildlife: The fruit from a paperbark maple does not attract any wildlife.
Gardens and Landscaping: Paperbark Maple is used in ornamental setting for its unusual attractive bark. It is a popular bonsai tree. Often used in commercial, institutional, and residential areas.
Campus Specimens - Paperbark Maple
State and national champions? The Virginia state champion paperbark maple is located in Blacksburg VA, it has a circumference of 44 in, height of 30ft and a crown spreed of 29 ft a total of 81 points. This tree is on Virginia Tech campus.
At Radford University, . three paperbark maple trees can be found on campus. Two of them are in the Alumni Garden between the Center for Sciences and McConnel Library. The other one is in front of Martin Hall.
Tree #232
Trunk circumference: 29 inches
Tree height: 16 feet
Crown spread: 18 feet x 17.6 feet Average = 17.8 feet
Total points: 49.5
Notes: This paperbark maple is the smallest of the two in the Alumni Garden.
Tree #511
Trunk circumference: 49 inches
Tree height: 12.5 feet
Crown spread: 22.2 feet x 19.7 feet Average crown spread = 21 feet
Total points: 66.8
Notes: This is the tree near Martin Hall.
Tree #976
Trunk circumference: 44 inches
Tree height: 12.5 feet
Crown spread: 24.1 feet x 22 feet Average crown spread = 21 feet
Total points: 69.8
Notes: This Paperbark Maple tree is the largest of the three on campus.
References
Elpel, T. J. (2018). Botany in a Day: The Patterns Method of Plant Identification, Edition 6.1. Hops Press, Pony, MT.
North Carolina State Extension. (2019). Acer griseum. https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acer-griseum/
USDA, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). 2019. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=ACGR14.
Virginia Tech Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation. (2019). Paperbark Maple Fact Sheet, Virginia Tech Dendrology. http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/DENDROLOGY/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=271.
Page created by: Heather Peters, Radford University (2019).