Maple, Paper Bark

Acer griseum (Paperbark Maple; simplified Chinese: ???; traditional Chinese: ???; pinyin: xuè pí f?ng) is a species of maple native to central China, in the provinces of Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Shanxi, and Sichuan, at altitudes of 1,500–2,000 m. It is a small to medium-sized deciduous tree, reaching 20-30 ft tall, 15-25 ft wide, with a trunk up to 2 ft in diameter.

The leaves are compound, with a 0.80–1.60 in petiole with three leaflets, each 1.20-4.00 in long and 0.80-2.40 in broad, dark green above, bright glaucous blue-green beneath, with several blunt teeth on the margins.

The flowers are androdioecious, produced in small corymbs in spring. The fruit is a paired samara with two winged seeds about 0.34 in long with a 1.18 in winged portion.

The bark is smooth, shiny orange-red, peeling in thin, papery layers; it may become fissured on old trees. The shoots are densely downy at first, this wearing off by the second or third year and the bark exfoliating by the third or fourth year.

Paperbark Maple is widely grown as an ornamental plant in temperate regions. It is admired for its decorative exfoliating bark, translucent pieces, of which often stay attached to the branches until worn away. It also has spectacular autumn foliage which can include red, orange and pink tones.