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Maple Trees...
Mountain Maple:
Acer spicatum Lamb
Habitat: The Mountain maple grows in forests from Saskatchewan to Eastern Canada and the Northeastern part of the United States. It forms part of the forest understorey, growing well on drained moist soil in ravines and along hillsides and streams. This tree is shade tolerant, seldom thriving in the open. It also grows on recently cutover forest land forming thickets.
Size and Form:  Mountain maples grow as large shrubs up to 5 m high and 15 cm in diameter. The trunk is short and crooked. Ascending upwards from the trunk are a few rather straight limbs that form a round but even crown. The root system is very shallow and sometimes partially exposed.
Leaves: The leaves measure up to 12 cm and are a bit longer than their width. They extend from slender reddish stalks which are usually longer than the leaf itself. There are 3 to 5 lobes with a triangular central lob separated from the lateral lobes by notches. The upper surface is a yellowish green, while underneath it is white and downy. There are irregular teeth on the edge of the leaf and the teeth curve outwards. The leaves change to yellow, red or brown in autumn.
 Buds: The terminal bud is long, slender and covered with fine white hair. It is 2 to 3 times longer than its width. A pair of scales meet along the edges and encase the bud.
Fruits and Seeds: The keys are bright red in colour  fading to a pinkish brown in autumn, They are arranged on short stalks around a central stem. The drooping clusters of keys mature in late summer and may stay on thetree through winter. One side of the seed case is indented and the attached wings measure 20 mm long. The angle between the wings is less than 90 degrees.
Vegetative Reproduction: The Mountain maple can reproduce in thickets by layering which creates shelter for wild life.
Flowers: Dense, upright clusters of flowers appear after the leaves are fully formed. The flowers are creamy white to a pale yellowish green in colour. Approximately 10 mm across, there are 5 petals and sepals on a slender central stem. Flowers producing both pollen and seeds may occur on the same tree.
Bark: The thin bark has a dull appearance due to the fine gray hairs that cover the dark  reddish surface. The bark has fine grooves and sometimes there are light coloured patches on the bark. The twigs are slender. The colour ranges from yellowish-green to pink and reddish brown. The twigs are also covered in gray hairs.
Wood: The Mountain Maple is not commercially harvested but it is important as an ornamental tree. It is often planted in gardens and parks.
Quick
Recognition: A short crooked trunk is divided into a few slender branches to form an uneven crown. The three lobed leaves are single toothed. The keys are indented on one side.
Notes: This tree provides food for deer and birds. When leafless, the Mountain maple resembles some of the Dogwoods. The keys and fine hairs on the twigs identify it as a maple.
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