MOUNTAIN MAPLE

...SPIKED BLOOMS IN JUNE...

...FOLLOWED BY ROSY WINGED FRUITS (Google photo)...

...AND SPECTACULAR FALL COLOR

Sunday, 9:00 AM.  46 degrees F at the ferry dock, 41 0n the back porch.  Wind variable and calm, with occasional light gusts.  The sky is overcast and cloudy, the humidity 79%.  The barometer is falling, now at 30.45”.  The forecast is for warmer temperatures and chances of thunder storms Tuesday and Wednesday.  With a lot of people in town my Trump/Pence sign was sure to go down, and it did, along with some other minor vandalism.  I guess we are just deplorable.

   Mountain maple, Acer spicatum, in the Maple Family, is a large shrub to small under story tree native to wet northern forests from northeastern Canada, New England and Pennsylvania west to Wisconsin and Minnesota.  It is not rare, but neither is it usually very common.  It prefers limestone soils and rock outcroppings.  In Wisconsin it is most prevalent in Door County and along the Niagara escarpment.

   The species name refers to the upright spikes of  creamy yellow towers arising from new terminal spring growth. The flowers are followed by rosy winged nutlets called samaras.  This is an interesting and unusual plant, with three-lobed leaves reminiscent of red maple. It displays brilliant pumpkin orange fall leaf color.  

DON'T FORGET TO WATCH THE DEBATE TONIGHT