Maple Leaves Me Confused

There is an old tale that maples have leaves with three points – not even close.
It might be true for some, such as the Red Maple (Acer rubrum), also known as Swamp Maples, Water Maples, and Soft Maples. This species of tree is the most abundant native tree in eastern North America according to the U.S. Forest Service – from Florida to Canada out to the Mississippi. This is because the Red Maple easily adapts to different growing conditions. Here, in the Carolina Piedmont, they are usually found in bottomland woodlands and around water such as creeks and ponds. The red flowers and leaf buds are among the first symbols of Spring. During Fall, the leaves can turn yellow, orange or bright red with much of the color due to the type of soil they are growing in.

Red Maple (Acer rubrum)
The next most frequently seen Maple around the Carolinas is the Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum). As it names implies, it is originally from southeast Asia, and over the past couple of hundred years, horticulturists have developed thousands of different cultivars or varieties starting with the first ones brought to Britain in 1821. It can come in all different leaf shapes, sizes and colors and with five to nine leaf points. They are frequently seen in gardens around the world and are popular because of their unusual characteristics and elegant, relatively compact form. But, three leaf points? … not even close.

Cultivars of Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum)
Chalk Maples (Acer leucoderme) are also known as Whitebark Maple because of the texture of the bark, often described as a smooth, thin and white chalky texture. This species is very unusual in the Midlands, as its native range is in upstate areas of the Carolinas. It is an understory tree reaching only 20-30’ and is usually found in woodlands with moist, rocky soils along the banks of rivers, and on rock bluffs. Since this a tree that is typically not seen in these parts, visiting botanists were very surprised to find it in Chesterfield County – thank you Thompson Creek!

Chalk Maple (Acer leucoderme)
Boxelder Maples (Acer negundo) are also known as the Ash-leaved Maple, with an opposite leaf structure that looks similar to an Ash tree. It is native to North America, primarily the upper Piedmont through the mountains and into the Midwest. It is not normally found in Chesterfield. It is a fast growing but short-lived tree. So, if it doesn’t have three, five or any points on its leaves, doesn’t look like any other maple, so why is it considered a maple? Boxelders produce those “helicopter” seeds that you see on the other maples. Thanks to Carl Linnaeus, we’ll be telling you more about “Samara” in future stories.

Boxelder Maple (Acer negundo) leaves and samara