MOUNTAIN MAPLE, AN UNDERUSED NATIVE SHRUB

MOUNTAIN MAPLE IN BLOOM...

.,SPIKE OF TINY YELLOW FLOWERS...

...SPECTACULAR ORANGE FALL LEAF COLOR

Tuesday,  6:30 AM. 56 degrees F at the ferry dock, 50 degrees on the back porch.  Wind NNE, calm to light.  The sky is crystal clear, the humidity 70%,  The barometer has begun to fall, and now stands at 30. 30".  It will be fine weather today, but probably rain tomorrow.
   One of my favorite, and underused, native shrubs is mountain maple, Acer spicatum, in the Maple Family.
   It is a tree of  northeastern North America, from far northern Canada to the Lake States and New England,  and south at elevation in the Appalachian Mountains.  It is an understory shrub or small tree to twenty feet or so, growing in the rich soils of moist woods along stream beds and rocky outcroppings.
   It has the opposite leaves and branches typical of maples, and a three-lobed, toothed leaf.  It bears interesting yellow flower spikes in spring, followed by colorful, red-winged seeds.  The fall leaf color is a brilliant red to orange, and it lights up the fall woods like a jack-o-lantern.
   It is little used in landscaping and is not very available from nurseries, which is truly a shame, as it is a very interesting and attractive plant to use in the the native or naturalized landscape.