There are approximately 132 species of maple trees and shrubs in the Sapindaceae family, with most native to Asia but some native to Europe, Africa and North America. Most maples will do well in full sun to partial shade in well-drained soils. There are multistemmed shrubs up to 35 feet and many trees 35 to 150 feet. Most are deciduous, but there are a few in southern Asia and the Mediterranean region that are evergreen. With a few exceptions, many maples can be identified by the palmately lobed opposite leaves and the winged samara fruits. Flowers are often insignificant in yellow or red and trees can be monoecious or dioecious. Some provide good fall color and others provide maple syrup. Depending on the species, maples can be used as a shade tree, a specimen, in bonsai, for wildlife benefits and many cultivars are available to fit your needs. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Potential insets are caterpillers, aphids Asian long-horned beetle. Potential diseases are fungal infections, Verticillium wilt and sooty-bark disease.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Good Drainage
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 35 ft. 0 in. - 150 ft. 0 in. | Width: 20 ft. 0 in. - 81 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Erect
Foliage
Broadleaf Evergreen; Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Palmatifid
Leaf margin
Lobed
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are often palmately lobed, but there are exceptions. Some provide red or yellow fall color, especially in temporate climates. Size and shape vary per species.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Flower form
Insignificant
Flower detail
Flowers are insignificant, often in hanging catkins for male flowers or short re spkes for female flowers.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Cream/Tan
Fruit type
Samara
Fruit size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Fruit detail
Fruits are mostly winged sumara that appear in summer.
Bark detail
Varies per species.
Stem detail
Varies per species.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Asia, Africa, Europe, North America
Wildlife value
Maples are host plants to several moths. Trees provide nesting sites for birds and small mammals.
Attracts
Moths; Small Mammals; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Fruit type
Samara
Edibility
Maple syrup is edible
Uses (ethnobotany)
Wood is used to make furniture, paper and other objects.
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Cottage Garden; English Garden
Design feature
Shade Tree; Small groups; Specimen
Garden tags
#bird friendly #deciduous tree #host plant #shade tree #shrub #wildlife friendly #Asian garden #English garden #cottage garden #fall color