Plants Pacific Northwest

Acer Pensylvanicum - Striped Maple

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Acer Pensylvanicum: Striped Maple.

Striped maple is a native, deciduous, tall shrub or small tree. It reaches a maximum height of about 45 feet (13 m), but is usually smaller. It has a short, forked trunk divided into a few ascending, arching branches, forming a broad but uneven, flat-topped to rounded crown. The branchlets are straight and slender. Striped maple is primarily dioecious; monoecy is rare. The sex ratio is male-biased. Hibbs reported that 80 percent of a Massachusetts population was male. The fruit of striped maple is a two-winged sumara. The root system is shallow and wide-spreading.

Striped maple is an important wildlife food. It is one of the preferred species for rabbits, and is frequently eaten by porcupines. The leaves and shoots are browsed by moose, white-tailed deer, and beavers. Ruffed grouse consume the vegetative buds. The nectar is an important food source for honeybees. The wood of striped maple wood is porous and fine grained, and has occasionally been used by cabinet makers for inlay material.

An active anti-tumor substance has been isolated from striped maple, and tests are underway to determine its practical application.