striped maple

Striped Maple Acer pensylvanicum
Family: Aceraceae (Maple)
Branching: Opposite
Other names: Moosewood, Moose Maple

This shrubby maple occasionally grows to tree size. It is a very distinctive plant with greenish bark that has vertical white stripes. It can hardly be mistaken for anything else!

Striped Maple twig. Notice that it has fewer scales than the other maples and actually can look like
Cranberry Viburnum sometimes.

Lateral buds of Striped Maple.

The colour of the twigs can range from very red to very green.

End buds are often paired

Lateral bud and leaf scar

Twigs of Striped Maple (3 on top) and Mountain Maple (3 on the bottom).
Colourating can be similar, bud Mountain Maple twigs are consistently velvety and their buds
have two distinct scales

Striped Maple's most diagnostic feature is its bark.

Slightly more mature bark.

Twigs develop the striped look very early.