Plant Family: Sapindaceae
Growth Form: Small understory tree, 3 to 8 meters tall.
Leaves: Opposite, simple, with three pointed lobes, finely toothed; up to 15 cm long, the leaves on saplings even larger, turning yellow in the fall.
Bark: Smooth, green to gray, with prominent vertical stripes.
Flowers: Yellow, in hanging racemes at the branch ends, appearing after the leaves in May and June.
Fruits: Paired samaras in long hanging clusters; June to September.
Habitat: Common in the cool understory of rocky woods, and on hillsides and mountain slopes.
Range: Absent from Cape Cod, rare in Rhode Island and coastal Connecticut, common in the rest of New England; ranging north into Canada and south in the mountains to northern Georgia.
Key Feature: The smooth striped bark allows for easy identification, even in winter.
Comments: Striped Maple is one of our most shade tolerant forest trees and is an important browse plant for moose and deer.
