of New York 



109 



MOUNTAIN MAPLE 



Acer spicatum, Lambert 



The Mountain Maple has a good name, for it is truly 

 a tree of the mountains. One usually finds it on rocky 

 hillsides and along the border of ravines. It seldom exceeds 

 25 feet in height. 



MOUNTAIN MAPLE 

 One-fourth natural size. 



The leaves are simple, opposite, usually 3-lobed, 3 to 5 

 inches long, coarsely-toothed, light and hairy on lower 

 surface. 



The flowers do not appear until early summer. They are 

 white and arranged in erect spikes about 3 inches long. 



The fruit is a typical maple key ripening in autumn and 

 often hanging into winter. The fruit keys are the smallest 

 of the native maples. 



A close examination of the reddish-brown twigs shows 

 them covered with a whitish coating of fine hairs. The 

 buds are one-fourth of an inch long, blunt-pointed, short- 

 stalked, covered with a few visible greenish to grayish scales. 



The Mountain Maple is found from Newfoundland to 

 Manitoba, south to Michigan and Pennsylvania and along 

 the mountains to Georgia. This tree is common in northern 

 New York, less common southward and becomes very rare 

 south of the Hudson highlands. It is not found on Long 

 Island and Staten Island. This tree is of no commercial 

 importance, but it is valuable as a soil protector and is very 

 desirable for ornamental planting. 



