Maple ID / How do you explain?

[M.D. Vaden]

This week, a helper asked me how to distinguish between a vine maple, and a Japanese maple. It reminded me that I thought about that almost 2 months ago.

I can tell the 2 apart. But for me, it's a recognition thing. And not like comparing facts, like shore pine needles in 2s and white pines in 5's.

It seems the vine maple pointed lobes are a bit wider of a wedge. Vine maple is more flexible. In the yard we were at, the Jap. maple leaves cupped upward, and the vine maple downward. But I don't think I've checked that before to see how consistent that it.

The leaf size, seems a bit different, but not different enough for me to provide to another person as an ID feature.

If you had to explain the difference to someone about those two trees, what characteristics would you refer too?

 

[Gord]

Vine maples are almost always mulitstemmed right from the ground and generally do not have secondary stems that branch off above the ground. Even the largest vine maples have smooth bark with lenticel type bumps, very green when it's moistened. Japanese maples have dull bark on all but the newer growth. I think that the leaves of vine maple are actually closer to full moon maple than Jap maple.

Vine maple Acer circinatum