Shandong Maple (Acer truncatum) — identification, habitat & look-alikes

Shandong maple is a small East Asian tree grown in U.S. landscapes for its yellow, orange, and red fall leaves. Its leaves usually have five broad lobes with mostly smooth edges. Shandong maple is also called Shantung maple.

Appearance

Growth form: This tree usually reaches 20–25 ft (6–8 m) in North Carolina landscapes.
Leaves: Its opposite leaves usually have five broad lobes with mostly smooth edges. Broken leaf stalks release milky sap.
Flowers: In North Carolina, clusters of small yellow-green flowers appear in April and May.
Fruit: Paired winged seeds spread at about a right angle.

Look-alikes

Norway mapleAcer platanoides

Both can have milky sap in a broken leaf stalk. Shandong maple usually has smaller, mostly smooth-edged leaf lobes; Norway maple has larger leaves with more obvious teeth. Their paired winged fruits also differ: Shandong maple often forms about a right angle, while Norway maple wings spread nearly straight across.

Why they get mixed upBoth have broad, five-lobed leaves.

Where it lives

Typical habitats: Gardens
Street plantings
Range: It is native to northern China and Korea. In the United States, it is grown as a landscape tree, including in North Carolina and California.
Flowering: Flowers Apr–May
Flowers Apr–May

Name and classification

Varieties and forms: The cultivated selection “Fire Dragon” is grown for its vivid fall color.

Conservation

IUCN Red List: LCLeast ConcernLow risk of extinction

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