Manchu Striped Maple is a small deciduous tree in the maple family (Sapindaceae) that is native to Asia and Russia. The genus Acer means maple in Latin. It reaches 20- 35 feet in height and up to 25 feet wide. Plant this tree in average well-drained soil with moderate moisture in full sun to dappled shade. In spring insignificant yellow-green flowers appear in racemes and are followed by winged samara in fall. The lobed leaves turn bright yellow in the fall. Its best feature is the striped bark of green and white with blue-green highlights. It tends to hold on to this stripping longer into maturity than other snake-bark maples. Manchu Striped Maple has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit. Use as a shade tree for smaller yards, a specimen and to add winter interest. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. See potential disease and insect problem fact sheets to the left. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common maple diseases and insect pests.
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.
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day) | 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 pH
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
NC region
Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
2 - Understory
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Oval; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Cordate; Orbicular
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf value
Showy
Leaf size
3-6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
4 to 6 in. opposite, simple leaves with 3 to 5 shallow lobes; have yellow fall color. Base cordate, tip acuminate
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower form
Insignificant; Raceme
Flower size
3-6 inches
Flower detail
Small, green-yellow 3 - 4 in. long in nodding clusters (racemes).
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Samara
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Fruit detail
1 1/4 in. long winged samara. Wings form a wide-angle.
Bark color
Dark Gray; Green; White
Bark detail
Bark light to yellow-green with white vertical stripes.
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Yellowish brown and the terminal buds are red and taper to a point. Second year develops a vertical, white fissured pattern that becomes more prominent over time.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Unknown
Origin
Manchuria, Korea, and Russia.
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed. Birds will eat the seeds
Attracts
Moths; Pollinators; Songbirds
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Fall
Fruit type
Samara
Landscape Use
Landscape location
Lawn; Naturalized Area
Landscape theme
Asian Garden; Nighttime Garden; Pollinator Garden
Design feature
Shade Tree
Garden tags
#deciduous #full sun tolerant #yellow leaves #shade tree #winter interest #imperial moth #larval host plant #nighttime garden #partial shade tolerant #shade garden #fall interest #deciduous tree #pollinator plant #wildlife friendly