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Acer pensylvanicum
Also called Moosewood, Goosefoot maple, Goosefoot, Snakebark Maple, Moose Maple
Acer pensylvanicum, known as the striped maple, moosewood, whistlewood, moose maple or goosefoot maple, is a North American species of maple. It is a small, slow-growing understory tree that can change its sex throughout its lifetime.
Striped maple is cultivated uncommonly as an ornamental plant for its unique striped bark and fall color. The most notable cultivar is 'Erythrocladium', which has bright coral or salmon-red colored twigs and a bright pink or reddish coloration to the bark in the wintertime. This cultivar was discovered in Germany around 1904, but is uncommon commercially due to difficulty propagating it.
The natural range of the striped maple extends from Nova Scotia and the Gaspé Peninsula of Quebec, west to southern Ontario, Michigan, and Saskatchewan; south to northeastern Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, and along the Appalachian Mountains as far south as northern Georgia. It is the only species of snakebark maple native to North America. It was introduced to England in 1760 as an ornamental plant, and into continental Europe shortly afterwards.
Striped maple has been used for medicinal and material purposes by several Northeastern Woodlands tribes. The Penobscot of Maine call it atohkímosi, and use a poultice made from the steeped bark to relieve swelling of the limbs, as well as in compound infusions to treat coughing up of blood, kidney troubles, and venereal disease. The Haudenosaunee use decoctions including striped maple bark as an emetic and laxative. The Mi'kmaq call it wapoq and use decoctions of the bark for various respiratory issues and as a beverage. The Ojibwe use the bark as an emetic, and a northern Minnesota band of Ojibwe, the Bois Forte Band of Chippewa, have also been recorded as using striped maple wood to make arrows and dice bowls.
Tapering Leaf Maple · Acer alaskense · Himalayan Maple · Acer amamiense · Broad Maple · Deep-veined Maple · Acer ashwilli · Bearded maple · Jalisco Maple · Acer brevipes · Acer browni · Trident maple
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Acer pensylvanicum by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts are shared under the same licence.
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.
