Striped Maple - Acer pensylvanicum

Aceraceae - Maple Family 
"A Year With the Trees" - Tree Number 2
Striped Maple
Acer pensylvanicum

Spring

Striped Maple flowers

Summer

This tree is also called Goose-foot. Looking at the leaf, the name makes sense.

The Striped Maple Tree

This Striped Maple lives on the Blue Ridge Parkway near Mt. Pisgah.

Fall 

Striped Maple, BlueRidge Pky.

The Striped Maple usually a small tree, 30 to 40 feet tall; and it has striped bark, thus the name.  The stripes are white against a green trunk; the stripes go in an "up and down" direction.   As the tree gets older, the trunk becomes brown and gets a bit warty.  However, the twigs will remain green striped with white.

Acer pensylvanicum, Striped Maple, Asheville Botanical Gardens

I encourage you to go into nature and enjoy the peace that surrounds you.

Winter

Striped Maple

Acer pensylvanicum

The Winter Striped Maple can be identified by looking at the twigs and bark.

On the twig, leaf scars are crescent shaped.

Twigs are stout and striped or greenish.  They grow opposite each other on the branches.

The bark will be green to brown while the tree is young.  The tree will develop green and white striped bark.

The Buds are reddish, with short stalk, narrow and ovoid shaped..  The buds are called valvate, which means the edges of the buds meet without overlapping.

The Champion Striped Maple Trees

The American Forest champion Striped Maple lives in Maine and is 65 feet tall with a circumference of 33 inches.

My favorite Striped Maple Tree

My favorite Striped Maple trees lives near Mt. Pisgah on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Plant a Striped Maple Tree

Many animals and birds eat the leaves and shoots and buds and nectar of the Striped Maple Trees.

Some of these animals and birds are rabbits, moose, white-tailed deer, beavers, ruffed grouse, and honeybees.  

For the love of the trees,
Becky

Adopt the pace of nature: her secret is patience.
Ralph Waldo Emerson