Striped maple

Native to North America, this small tree reaches 5 to 10 metres in height. Sometimes shrub-like, it is easy to spot thanks to its thin, smooth bark, green to greenish-brown, streaked with whitish-green vertical stripes. These distinctive markings give the tree one of its common names.

The striped maple’s leaves have toothed margins and three to five lobes. Ranging from 6 to 12 cm in width and 8 to 15 cm in length, they are a pale yellowish-green that turns yellow in autumn.

Its trunk is short, with a few irregular branches. The twigs are smooth, reddish-brown, shiny, and hairless. The buds are pedunculated, meaning they grow on a small stalk or “foot.”

Its yellow flowers are 1.5 to 3 cm long and form long, drooping clusters. The fruits are double samaras, 1.5 to 3 cm in length, that dangle in similar clusters.