Habitat

• native to Manchuria and Korea
• zone 5; likely hardy in zone 4, as well

Habit and Form

• small shade tree
• deciduous
• a slow growing plant
• rounded crown, densely branched
• 20' to 30' tall, to 45' in the wild
• fine to medium texture
• similar to A. griseum or A. nikoense in habit and form

Summer Foliage

• opposite, trifoliolate leaves, with leaflets 2" to 3" long and 1" wide
• dark green color

Autumn Foliage

• late October
• overall orange in effect, with reds and orange-reds present

Flowers

• greenish-yellow, inconspicuous
• in clusters of three (hence, common name)

Fruit

• samara, 1" to 1.25" long, set in pairs joined at a wide angle
• nutlet fat, pubescent

Bark

• ash-brown
• exfoliates in long, vertical strips
• very ornamental

Culture

• relatively pest free
• prefers acid, moist, well-drained soil

Landscape Uses

• specimen or focal point
• a rare plant which makes a good point of interest

Liabilities

• not easy to find in cultivation

ID Features

• trifoliolate leaves, somewhat fuzzy and thicker than Acer cissifolium
• exfoliating gray bark; not red (like A. griseum) or smooth (like A. nikoense or A. cissifolium)
• flowers after A. nikoense and before A. griseum
• fruit fuzzier than that of A. griseum

Propagation

• by seed, but very low germination rate (similar to Acer griseum)
• can be grafted onto other trifoliolate maples

Cultivars/Varieties

• none