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Paperbark maple

Acer griseum

Also called Chinese Paperbark Maple

Paperbark maple
Photo: Bruce Marlin, CC BY-SA 2.5

Paperbark maple is a small deciduous tree from central China, prized for its peeling orange-red bark and brilliant autumn leaves. It is grown outdoors in temperate gardens, and seed propagation is harder than for many maples.

Family
Sapindaceae (Soapberry & maple family)
Grows as
Tree
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Water regularly while establishing, then moderately; avoid waterlogging.
Soil
Well-drained, fertile, slightly acidic to neutral loam.
Temperature
Hardy in cold winters, roughly -25 to 30 °C; protect young trees from late frosts.
How easy
Moderate
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Native range
C. China (to SW. Henan)
Climate
temperate

About

Acer griseum, the paperbark maple or blood-bark maple, is a species of flowering plant in the family Sapindaceae, native to central China. Acer griseum is found in the Chinese provinces of Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Sichuan, at altitudes of 1,500–2,000 m (4,921–6,562 ft).

How to grow it

Acer griseum was introduced to cultivation in Europe in 1901 by Ernest Henry Wilson for the Veitch Nurseries in the UK, and to North America shortly after. It is one of many species of maples widely grown as ornamental plants in temperate regions. It is admired for its decorative exfoliating bark, translucent pieces of which often stay attached to the branches until worn away. It also has spectacular autumn foliage which can include red, orange and pink tones. Cultivars include the columnar Copper Rocket.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

Other Acer plants

Field Maple · Kyushu Maple · Cappadocian maple · Vine maple · Père David's maple · Horned maple · Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala · Fullmoon Maple · Lobel's Maple · Bigleaf Maple · Montpellier Maple · Manitoba Maple

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Acer griseum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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