Maple Trees...

Vine Maple:
Acer circinatum Pursh

Habitat: The range of the Vine maple extends from the southern part of British Columbia, south to the Sacramento River in California. This tree has also been reported in two small areas on Vancouver Island. The Vine maple can be found growing in forest openings and in recently logged areas. Patches or clumps of Vine maples also grow along streams or river banks, even if the terrain is quite rocky. This tree tolerates shade very well making it ideal for the forest understorey.

Size and Form: Appearing as a large shrub or in dense thickets, the Vine maple has a short twisted trunk. Its gnarled appearance, from which it derives its name is accented by a few spreading limbs. The crown is low, broad and irregular.

Leaves: The leaves of the Vine maple have from seven to nine lobes. The veins form a somewhat circular shape from 3 to 10 cm across. The lobes on the leaves are triangular, separated by V-shaped notches. Although sometimes outlined in red in the spring the leaves are normally a bright yellow-green. The undersurface is pale green, downy in the spring but hairless in the fall. In the autumn these leaves turn yellow, orange and scarlet.

Buds: There is no terminal bud, however, sometimes a flower bud will occupy the terminal position. The buds are small with 1 - 2 pairs of red scales.

Fruits and Seeds: The keys (seeds) are bright red when young. The wings are 25 - 38 cm long and the angles between them forms an almost straight line. The seed case is plump and hairless with ridges. In late autumn the seeds reach maturity.

Vegetative Reproduction: The Vine maple has been known to root from places where it touches the ground.

Flowers: When the leaves are half grown, bright purple or red flowers develop in drooping clusters. The flowers are on slender stalks and are approximately 12 mm across. These flowers contain both male and female parts in the same clusters.

Bark: The smooth bark is marked by shallow crevices. It is thin and although green in the spring, it becomes a bright reddish brown. The twigs are slender and hairless and follow the same colour pattern as the bark by becoming red in autumn.

Wood: The Vine maple is not commercially harvested but it is important as an ornamental tree. It is often planted in gardens and parks.



Quick Recognition: Short shrubby trees growing in moist soils. Leaves are rounded with 7 to 9 lobes. The fruit wings spread widely to form a straight line.

Notes:Native Indians once used this wood to carve utensils and make fishing net frames. The Vine maple is most often enjoyed as shelter for wildlife and has the largest number of lobes of any native maple. This tree has become very popular in European gardens.