British Columbia Outdoor Wilderness Guide |
VINE MAPLE
acer cirinatum
- the
gnarled and crooked appearance of the Vine Maple
tree probably lends itself to the word 'vine' in
its common name
- 'acer'
is the Latin word for a maple tree
UNIQUE
FEATURES:
- Vine
Mapleappears as a small tree or shrub and can grow
into a dense thicket
- Vine
Maple are crooked, short trunk that can sometimes
grow almost horizontally and may root where it touches
the ground
- Vine
Maple have twisted,
spreading limbs
- The
crown is low and irregularly shaped
- Vine
Maple is one of the first trees to establish after
a landslide
LOCATION:
- Vine
Maple grows in southwestern British Columbia
- low
to mid elevations
- Vine
Maple likes wet sites, along river and stream banks
- nitrogen
rich soils
- shade
or open areas
SIZE:
- Vine
Maple grows up to 20 metres in height
FRUIT:
- 2
to 4 cm long winged seeds
- are
joined in pairs but spread straight out unlike most
maples which join in a 'V' shape
FLOWERS:
- small,
reddish or purple
- often
just one fruit will appear on each
LEAVES:
- have
7 to 9 lobes
- almost
circular, 6 to 11 cm in diameter
- toothed
- when
mature bright yellowish green on top with a pale
green and downy underside
- when
young reddish and hairy
- turn
red and gold in the fall
BARK:
- thin,
smooth, may have shallow cracks at the base of the
tree when older
- greenish
when young, turning reddish-brown or gray with age
WOOD
CHARACTERISTICS:
USES:
- modern
- ornamental because of its spectacular fall colours
- traditional
- bow, frames for fishing nets, snowshoes, cradle
frames, firewood, cooking tools; bark: boiled to
make a tea for colds; branches: cradle swings
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