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Rocky Mountain maple
Scientific Name: Acer glabrum
Family: Aceraceae
Category: Dicot
Growth: Tree, Shrub
Duration: Perennial
Other Names:
Rocky Mountain Maple (Acer glabrum)
Acer glabrum, commonly known as Rocky Mountain maple, is a versatile and attractive tree or shrub native to western North America.
Considerations for Pets and Children
- This plant produces seeds in a V-shape that may be attractive to children or pets.
Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Scientific Name: Acer glabrum Torr.
- Common Names: Rocky Mountain maple, Douglas maple, Sierra maple, Mountain Maple, Dwarf Maple, New Mexico maple
- Family: Aceraceae (Maple family) - now often classified under Sapindaceae (Soapberry Family)
- Order: Sapindales (Maple / Sumac / Creosotebush)
- Subclass: Rosidae
- Synonyms: Acer glabrum var. glabrum (syn. subsp. glabrum), Acer glabrum var. diffusum, Acer tripartitum Nutt.
Distribution and Habitat
- Native to western North America.
- Found from Alaska south to Northern California, east to Idaho, and throughout the Rocky Mountains.
- Grows in damp places in the mountains, along streams, on wetlands, stream banks, and slopes.
- Occupies elevations from 4,500 to 10,000 feet.
Ecological Role
- An important species for foraging animals such as moose, deer, elk, and big horn sheep.
- Commonly occurs as an understory species in coniferous forests, as well as in upland deciduous and riparian forests.
Morphological Characteristics
- Deciduous tree or multi-stemmed shrub.
- Size: Typically grows 5 to 30 feet tall (up to 9 meters). Can be a shrub or a small tree.
- Growth Rate: Slow.
- Branches: Opposite, ascending to erect. Slender, upright.
- Twigs: Reddish, rounded.
- Leaves: Opposite, simple or compound varying widely, palmate with three to five lobes. Dark green foliage.
- Flowers: Small (0.3 inches or 0.8 cm wide), often inconspicuous, fragrant in early spring. Male and female flowers can occur on the same plant.
- Seeds: Tan-colored, winged seeds joined at the base in a V-shape. Ripen in September.
- Bark: Smooth, grayish-purple.
- Shape: Oval.
- Fall Color: Yellow to orange-red.
Quirky Facts
- Reported by the Lewis and Clark Expedition at the Lemhi River on 13 Aug 1805.
- Sometimes stays small due to mule deer browsing in the wilds.
Additional Information
- Can be a single trunk or a multi-stemmed tree. Usually grows with multiple stems, suckering from the base.
- Prefers moist soils, especially along canyons and mountain slopes in coniferous forests.
- Hardy to zone (UK) 5.