Striped maple, moosewood

This shrubby understory tree grows 2.5 to 10 m tall. It has a short trunk with a few irregular branches. Its thin, smooth bark is green or greenish-brown, becoming black with age. It is marked by vertical greenish-white bands that turn red in winter. The tree takes one of its common names from these bands. Its twigs are smooth, reddish-brown, shiny and hairless. Its buds are stalked. It has very large, finely toothed leaves, measuring 10 to 18 cm across, with 3 lobes ending in a long tip. They are pale yellowish-green, turning yellow in fall. Its yellow flowers are 1.5 to 3 cm long and form long, drooping clusters. Its fruit is a pair of winged keys, joined at a more than 90° angle.