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| Vine maple - Acer circinatum |
Characteristics...
- Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
- Margin:serrate
- Venation: palmate
- Size: 8-15 cm
- Petiole: 5-10 cm
- Color: green
- Autumn color: yellow, orange - red.
Showing posts with label Maple. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Maple. Show all posts
Vine maple leaf
Characteristics...
Sugar maple leaf
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| Sugar maple - tree species: Acer saccharum |
Characteristics...
- Shape: palmate (3 upper lobes are pronounced, 2 basal lobes are small)
- Margin: 1-3 points per lobe
- Venation: palmate
- Size: 8 - 16 cm (width and length relatively equal)
- Petiole: 5-13 cm
- Color: green
- Fall color: yellow to bright orange
- Deciduous
Silver maple leaf
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| Tree species: Acer Saccharinum - Silver maple |
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| Acer saccharinum laciniatum-leaves |
Characteristics...
- Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
- Margin: serrate
- Venation: palmate
- Size: 8 - 16 cm
- Petiole: 5-13 cm
- Color: green
- creek maple
- river maple
- silverleaf maple
- soft maple
- water maple
- white maple
Bigleaf maple leaf
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| Bigleaf maple (Oregon maple) - Acer macrophyllum |
Characteristics...
- Arrangement: opposite
- Shape: palmate (5 deeply incised lobes)
- Margin: spiny / poiny
- Venation: palmate
- Size: 20 - 35 cm (largest leaves of all the maple tree species)
- Petiole: 20 - 50 cm
- Color: green
- Autumn color: yellow - orange
Big leaf maple blog post
Crimson king maple leaf
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| Crimson king maple leaf - Norway maple - Acer platanoides var |
Characteristics...
- Arrangement: opposite
- Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
- Margin: spiny and wavy
- Venation: palmate
- Size: 10-25 cm
- Petiole: 8 - 20 cm
- Texture: smooth
- Color: purple
Norway maple leaf
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| Norway maple - Acer platanoides |
Characteristics...
- Arrangement: opposite
- Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
- Margin: spiny
- Venation: palmate
- Size: 10-25 cm
- Petiole: 8 - 20 cm
- Texture: smooth
- Color: green (purple on some cultivars)
- Autumn color: yellow, orange - red.
Norway maple blog post
Which is the maple leaf blog post
Box elder maple leaf
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| Boxelder maple - Acer negundo |
- Arrangement: opposite
- Shape: pinnately compound
- Margin: unevenly serrate
- Venation: pinnate (on individual leaflets)
- Leaflet size: 7 -12 cm
- Petiole: 5-15 cm
- Texture: smooth
- Color: light green when new to dark green when mature
Sycamore maple leaf
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| Acer pseudoplatanus L. Sycamore maple |
- Arrangement: opposite
- Shape: palmate (5 lobes)
- Margin: serrate (somewhat irregular)
- Venation: palmate (veins pronounced on underside of leaf)
- Size: 10-25 cm
- Petiole: 5-15 cm
- Texture: leathery
- Color: green (purple on some cultivars)
Sycamore maple tree post
Norway Maple - Acer platanoides L
Common name(s): Norway maple
Scientific name: Acer platanoides L.
Family: Soapberry family (Sapindaceae)
Native range: East central Europe to southwest Asia
Type: Deciduous
Non-native range: widely planted as an urban tree in cities and parks
Average height range: 20-30 meters
Forest or habitat:
Wood density and quality: hard, good for furniture, color is pale-yellow to reddish.
Leaf shape: palmate
Leaf arrangement: Opposite
Leaf margin: lobed, spiny (1-7 teeth-like points per lobe)
Leaf venation: palmate
Leaf stem: 5-8 inches, 8-20 cm
Leaf surface: glabrous (smooth, not hairy)
Inflorescence: corymb like panicle
Flower: five sepals and five petals 3–4 mm, inconspicuous
Pollinating agents: ?
Fruit: double Samara pair
Edible?: no
Seed description: flattened disk-like with “wings” (samara)
Seed dispersal mechanism: wind blown Samara
Bark: gray-brown, grooved
Traditional uses: ornamental, shade
Commercial uses: furniture and wood-turning (banister spindles etc.)
Invasiveness: Moderate in some areas, (banned in New Hampshire and Massachusetts)
Threats: Asian long horned beetle,
Iconic or symbolic value: Maple leaf is the national symbol of Canada and is represented on its flag.
Montpellier Maple by the seat of Philip 2nd
Near the town of "El Escorial" about a thirty minutes drive northwest of the Spanish capital city of Madrid is a site called "The Seat of Philip the Second". This post is about the Montpellier Maple tree located at the site. For its species it is a very large and impressive. Popular belief is that Philip II sat under this tree to oversee the construction of the massive monastery accross the valley. Judging from the tree however it seems rather unlikely that this tree could be old enough to have given shade to the Spanish king in the mid 1600´s.
The tree stands beside large granite bolders like the one below. On top of a large rock to the left of the tree is the actual "Seat of Felipe II" which is a seat carved right into the top of the rock and is accessable by a stone stairway.
About 50 yards from Philip´s seat is the "Ermita de la Virgen de Gracia" (Hermitage of the Virgin of Grace) that was built in the XVI century. This site lies within a forrest called "El bosque de La Herrería".
Below is a view of the monastery as seen through the trees from the Montpellier Maple tree.
Japanese Maple - Acer palmatum
The Japanese maple (species name: Acer palmatum) is a small tree or large shrub in the Maple family that is native to the Asian countries of China, Korea and Japan. It is highly prized as a garden tree for its great ornamental beauty. It is the hallmark of every Japanese garden and is often found planted next to beautiful ponds with colourful Carp fish.
The leaves are palmate with serrated margins and measure about 3-4 inches (8-10 cm) across. The leaves range in color from green to red to almost a deep purple on different cultivars. There are thousands of cultivars of this tree species that have been selected for their various leaf shapes and colors. The image below is of a variety with leaves leaning more towards red.
In the Seattle area I have seen Japanese Maples that are quite large, measuring over 20 feet tall often with multiple trunks that branch off close to the base of the tree. On smaller specimens the trees have been pruned to keep more of a dome or bonsai type shape.
The picture below was taken under a fairly large Japanese Maple in North Seattle.
Other Maples I´ve blogged about are...Sycamore Maple, , Vine Maple, Big Leaf Maple, Red Maple, Boxelder Maple, Montpellier Maple
Sycamore Maple - Acer pseudoplatanus
The Sycamore Maple tree (species: Acer pseudoplatanus) is a member of the Maple tree family and occurs naturally in Europe and Southwestern Asia. The images in this blog were taken of a tree in Spain. The scientific name "Acer pseudoplatanus" is composed of two latin names. The first "Acer" means Maple and identifies the genus to which this tree belongs. The second part "pseudoplatanus" means "false Plane" or "false Sycamore". This is a reference to the fact that this tree can be easily confussed with "Sycamore" trees in the genus "Platanus". The "London Plane", for example has very similar leaves to the Sycamore Maple.
Above - detail of the Sycamore maple flower. Below - detail of the leaf and branch.
This tree can be easily identified as a Maple by its winged seeds (called samaras). Each seed has a "wing" that is about 1-1.3 inches long and is paired with another seed. These pairs in turn a grouped in a cluster of about 15-30 pairs. They are green at first and then turn a tan colour when mature. The wings help these seeds be dispursed by wind action.
Another way to tell the difference between the Sycamore Maple and the true Sycamore or Plane tree is by the bark. True Sycamores and Planes have a smooth bark that peels off in large sections.
The image below is of an old drawing of this tree species.
Other Maples that I have blogged about are...Vine Maple
Big Leaf Maple
Red Maple
Boxelder Maple
Montpellier Maple
Vine Maple (Acer circinatum) in fall color
The Vine Maple (tree species name: Acer circinatum) is a small maple tree species native to the Northwestern United States and I have seen on many occasions in and around Portland and Seattle. The images in this posted were taken from trees in both of these cities. The leaves in full autumn color are from a tree in North Seattle and the green leaves come from a tree in the Mount Tabor park in Portland. The picture below is of the winged "samara" seeds of this maple tree species that float like little helicopters when released into the wind.
The colorful leaves of the Vine Maple in autumn range in color from red to orange to yellow and green with many striking color patterns. The picture below is from a tree that I found along the eastern bank of Lake Sammamish near Seattle.
This tree species is also a common sight along the trails in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic area. One of the most visited of these is the trail leading up to Multnomah falls. Another maple tree species along that trail is the "Big Leaf Maple" (Acer macrophyllum), which are the trees along the trail that are covered in green moss and small ferns.
The Vine Maple tends to grow with multiple stems or trunks and rarely reaches more than 30ft in height.
Other Maple trees that I have posted about are the Big Leaf Maple, the Red Maple, the Boxelder Maple, Sycamore Maple and the Montpellier Maple.
Big Leaf Maple - Acer macrophyllum
The Big Leaf Maple tree (Acer macrophyllum) is one of the few Maple tree species that grow native in the Northwestern United States. The images in this post are from a stand of trees growing along the Multnomah Falls visitor trail that leads up to a bridge at the base of the main water fall (except for the leaf picture above which is from a young tree that I found on Mount Tabor Park in Portland).
The image above is of a cluster of the Big Leaf Maple´s winged seeds (Samaras) that detach in pairs and are blown by the wind like little helicopter blades. As you can see from the picture there are quite a few in each cluster.
Some of the leaves were starting to turn a bright yellow color although the only decent shot was of one of the leaves I found lying on the ground. It apprears to me that the leaves are larger and have sharper points on young trees while the leaves on more mature trees are a bit smaller and have more rounded tips. At any rate the leaves are quite large with some measuring 12 inches in diameter.
The Big Leaf Maple tree is often found growing allong streams and near waterfalls. I have seen them all along the Columbia River Gorge as well as near the waterfalls of Silver Creek Falls State Park. Their proximity to the falls and the constant water spray that is produced produces and moss and fern covering that is typical for this tree species. On some of the trees in is practically imposible to see the bark of the tree.
I did however find a few trees where the moss did not cover the whole trunk and was able to take this picture of what the bark looks like on a mature tree that was about 2 feet in diameter.
This sign (below) is located in the Multnomah falls visitor center reads...
"This deciduous tree has the largest leaves of any native in our area. The leaves are commonly six to ten inches long with five lobes. Palmate veins radiate from the petiole. Clusters of yellow-green flowers appear in spring. The winged seeds are wind dependent for dispersal and are often seen floating like "helicopters" in the fall winds."
Other Maple trees that I have posted about are the Vine Maple, the Red Maple, the Boxelder Maple, Sycamore Maple and the Montpellier Maple.
Red Maple - Acer rubrum
The Red Maple (Acer rubrum) is a relatively common tree species in Eastern North America. It also goes by the name Scarlet Maple in reference to the bright red color of its spring leaves. The images in the post come from the "Early Forest - Native and Exotic Tree Seeds" blog whose author Craig graciously gave me permission to use some of his images. If you are interested in beautiful tree seeds or cones for ornamental or craft projects I would encourage you to check out his blog.
The seeds of the Red Maple are samaras in a dual "helicopter" arrangement. Clicking on the image below will take you to a site were you can purchase these seeds in small packets like the one in the image.
Other Maple trees that I have posted about are the Big Leaf Maple, the Vine Maple, the Boxelder Maple, Sycamore Maple and the Montpellier Maple.
Boxelder Maple - Acer Negundo
The Boxelder Maple (Acer negundo) is a maple tree species native to a broad area that stretches from south central Canada down to Texas and parts of Mexico and as far east as New York and Florida. It is a small to medium sized tree with gray bark that forms ridges that grow more pronounced with age. One distinctive feature of this tree species is its pinnately compound leaves that usually have five leaflets but can also have three or seven as well. Some of the leaflets have a tendency to be asymmetrical as can be seen in the image below.
The seeds of the Boxelder maple grow in long racemes of "Samaras" (winged seeds). These clusters of paired seeds are green while they grow turning light brown when mature. This is one of the characteristics that makes this tree an interesting ornamental tree for urban environments.
Detail of the paired samaras. You can see that they are slightly offset.
The picture below illustrates how the racemes of samaras grow along the undersides of the branches.
Of special interest for ornamental uses is the variegated version of this tree species. As can be seen in the picture below the variegated trees have very interesting patterns of greens and light creamy white colors on both the leaves and the samaras.
This maple tree species is widely used in Spain as an urban tree for parks and avenues. Maple tree species that are native to Spain is the Montpellier Maple and the Sycamore Maple.A common Maple tree species in Eastern North America is the Red Maple - Acer rubrum.
Another interesting tree with variegated leaves is the Schefflera arboricola.
Another tree with pinnately compound leaves is the Coral tree.
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