Acer buergerianum, Trident Maple

Size: tree, 20-25' average height at maturity

Buds: imbricate, .25" long, brown, 4-angled

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, 2.25-4" long, 1-3" wide, 3 variable lobes, margins slightly serrate, shiny dark green on top, silvery green or light green underside, fall color can include incandescent reds and oranges

Twigs: slim, pubescent in first year, gray-brown becomes light brown in second year

Flowers: monoecious, inconspicuous yellow flowers in April or May

Fruit: 2 samaras, .75-1" long, sides of keys parallel, often borne in large numbers

Bark: exfoliates in small plates on older trees, revealing orange underbark

Acer campestre, Hedge Maple

Size: tree, 25-35' average height at maturity

Buds: terminal may be present or absent, buds pubescent, red-brown with lighter band at top of each scale, imbricated scales

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, 2-4" wide and long, usually about 3", simple palmate leaves with 3 or 5 lobes, margins wavy or denticulate, sometimes minutely serrate, dark green, often golden yellow in fall, milky sap

Twigs: slender, glabrous, light brown

Flowers: monoecious, yellow-green, bloom in spring

Bark: sometimes corky, becoming scaly and fissured

Acer griseum, Paperbark Maple

Size: tree, 20-30' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: terminal sharply pointed, scales uniformly dark purplish brown, fringe of hairs below leaf scar

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, about 6" wide, pinnately compound leaves with 3 leaflets, each about 2" long and elliptic to ovate, olive green or reddish brown

Flowers: monoecious, bloom in late spring, yellow

Fruit: double samara, often lacks embryo, very woody nutlet

Bark: Cinnamon brown, exfoliating on older branches

Acer mandshuricum, Manchurian Maple

Size: tree, 20-30' average height at maturity

Buds: brownish black, imbricate, glabrous, terminal .375 long, angled, laterals .25" long, appressed and angled, slight spiral hook

Leaves: deciduous, terminal leaflet, 3-5" long, 1-1.25" wide with .5-1" petiole, lateral leaflets shorter, with .25" petiole, all petioles glabrous and reddish, trifoliate, lanceolate, pinnated, saw-toothed, medium to dark green above, glaucous below, changes to red in fall, earlier than most maples, not glabrous at midrib

Twigs: slender, first year growth is lustrous brown, glabrous, covered with numerous elongated vertical lenticels, second-year growth gray-brown with slight vertical fissuring

Flowers: monoecious, not very ornamental

Fruit: glabrous, 1-1.5" long samara in fall, wings form a right or obtuse angle

Bark: gray, smooth

Acer miyabei, Miyabe Maple

Size: tree, 30-45' average height at maturity

Buds: terminal brownish, .125-.1875" long, imbricate, scales edged with fine pubescence, laterals similar but smaller and hidden by petiole base

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, 4-6" wide, 3-5" long, 4-7" petiole, pubescent with milky sap, simple, usually 5 lobes that taper to blunt tips, medium-dark green above, olive-green pubescent below in summer, quickly changes to yellow before leaf drop in fall

Twigs: brown, glabrous, angled

Flowers: monoecious, greenish-yellow, downy, 10-15 on 2-3" pyramidal clusters, flowers in May

Fruit: samara, borne in pairs, 1.75-2" long, remain green until they fall, wings spread horizontally, nutlets have silky hairs

Bark: dark gray, vertical scales

Acer palmatum, Japanese Maple

(about 1000 cultivars, more common than the species itself)

Size: tree, 40-50' average height at maturity

Buds: terminal absent, base surrounded by papery sheath that is densely hairy along margin, 4 pairs of scales

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, usually 2.5-3" long and wide, vary with cultivar from less than 1" to more than 5", simple, palmate, usually 5-7 lobes, sometimes 9, margins usually serrate

Color: often various shades of green in summer, wide range of spring, summer and fall colors in cultivars, as well as intense pinks, brick and blood red, and many shades of orange

Twigs: glabrous, often red or green depending on cultivar

Flowers: monoecious, white or reddish depending on cultivar, inconspicuous

Bark: green or gray-brown depending on cultivar, sometimes attractively striped with white on young wood

Acer pensylvanicum, Moosewood

Size: tree, 15-30' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: valvate, stalked, often reddish purple, ribbed scales, terminal present or absent

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, 5-8" long and wide, roundish, simple, 3 lobes at apex, margins serrate, bright green, smooth, green, few lenticels, u-shaped leaf scars, almost encircling twig

Flowers: mostly dioecious, yellow or yellow-green

Fruit: double samara, ripening in fall

Bark: older wood conspicuously striped white on base of green

Acer platanoides, Norway Maple

Size: tree, 40-50' average height at maturity

Buds: usually 6 red-purple exposed scales on terminal, may have accessory buds at twig tips, lateral buds with valvate or four exposed scales

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, 4-7" long and wide

Shape: simple, 5 pointed lobes, each with several large sharp teeth, dark green above, shiny below (unlike A. saccharum), milky sap

Twigs: thick smooth olive-brown in first year, later graybrown

Flowers: monoecious, yellow in spring, often numerous

Fruit: double samara, often in huge masses

Bark: gray-black with ridges and furrows

Acer pseudoplatanus, Sycamore Maple

Size: tree, 40-60' average height at maturity

Buds: terminal with about 6 exposed bright-green scales (unlike A. platanoides), often with dark brown border, fringe of hairs on edge of each scale, accessory buds usually absent at twig tips, laterals have imbricate scales (unlike A. platanoides)

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, up to 6" wide and long, simple, 3-5 ovate lobes, each with a few coarse serrations, dark green above, greenish white below, leathery leaf

Twigs: gray-brown, leaf scars do not meet (unlike A. platanoides)

Flowers: monoecious, yellow-green, upright 2-4" clusters that droop as fruit develop

Fruit: double samara, each side up to 2"

Bark: grayish, squarish scales that flake off to reveal brownish orange inner bark

Acer rubrum, Red Maple

Size: tree, 40-60' average height at maturity

Buds: blunt tips, red-brown, usually 4-6 visible scales, each scale fringed with hairs and often rounded, flower buds slightly larger, often in clusters with vegetative bud at center

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, 2-5" long and wide, simple, 3 or 5 triangular or ovate pointed lobes, irregularly toothed, medium or dark green above, (or yellow-green in chlorotic trees in high-pH urban soils), gray or light green underneath, fall color often vibrant reds, yellows, oranges

Twigs: slight fragrance when broken

Flowers: usually dioecious, red or orange-red, bloom in March, males more orange, females more red, petals (unlike A. saccharinum)

Fruit: double samara, ripens in spring, usually drops and germinates by the end of May

Bark: smooth, light to dark gray in young trees, sometimes almost beechlike, scaly, fissured, dark gray in old trees

Acer saccharinum, Silver Maple

Size: tree, 50-70' average height at maturity, 35-50' spread

Buds: resemble A. rubrum, blunt-tipped, red-brown, usually 4-6 visible scales, fringe of hairs on margin of each scale, slightly pointed, flower buds often clustered around vegetative bud

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, 3-7" long and wide, usually conspicuously larger than A. rubrum, simple, 5 lobes, sinuses very deep, lobes acuminate with large sharp teeth, medium green on top, silvery or grayish underside, greenish yellow in fall

Twigs: conspicuous rank odor when broken, especially in spring

Flowers: usually monoecious, but male or female flowers often dominate, no petals, greenish yellow to red

Fruit: double samara, fruit ripens, falls, and usually germinates in spring

Bark: gray or gray-brown longitudinal strips and plates

Acer saccharum, Sugar Maple

Size: tree, 60-75' average height at maturity

Buds: sharp-pointed with 10-12 imbricate scales of contrasting colors, each scale dark brown on top, lighter below

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, 3-6" long and wide, simple, 3-5 lobes with acuminate tips, a few large rounded teeth on each lobe, medium to dark green on top, lighter and duller green underside (not shiny like A. platanoides), often rich yellows, golds, oranges, and reds in fall

Twigs: glabrous, conspicuous lenticels

Flowers: monoecious, lack petals, greenish yellow in hanging clusters, not very conspicuous

Fruit: double samara, appear in fall

Bark: dark gray or blackish, in long plates with edges that stand away from trunk

Acer tataricum ssp. ginnala, Amur Maple

Size: tree, 15-18' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: small, pinted, glabrous, terminal usually absent, axis often parallel with branch, rests on small shelflike leaf scar

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, 2-3" long, 1-2.5" wide, simple, 3 lobes, central much larger than side lobes, margins often undulate or revolute, very small rounded teeth, dark or dull green on top, underside light green, glabrous, red in fall

Flowers: monoecious, creamy, often in great quantities, fragrant

Fruit: double samara, some fruit (or a fruit pedicel) often remain on branch, unripe samaras can be vivid red in midsummer, often in numbers that weigh down the branches, become ripe in September

Bark: olive gray or gray-brown, smooth with darkened lines

Acer triflorum, Three Flower Maple

Size: tree, over 30' average height at maturity

Buds: dark brown, .125-.25" long, imbricate scales, white pubescent tips of scales

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, trifoliate, ovate leaflets, irregularly serrated, 2-3" long, 1" wide, petiole 2-3" long, dark green in summer, yellow to red in fall, often appears orange

Twigs: brown, slender, many lenticels, exfoliating stems in 2nd or 3rd year

Flowers: monoecious, borne in spring, clustered in groups of 3, greenish yellow

Fruit: samara with wings 1-1.25" long and .375"-.625" wide, paired wings appear almost parallel to each other, pubescent nutlets

Bark: ornamental, at maturity it can be gray-brown, golden brown, or cinnamon-brown, exfoliates in vertical scales (not as showy as A. griseum)

Acer truncatum, Painted Maple

Size: tree, 25-30' average height at maturity

Buds: terminal imbricate reddish brown .25" long, laterals much smaller

Leaves: deciduous, opposite or alternate, 3-5" wide, less tall, simple, 5 lobes, usually straight across base of bottom lobes (ie. truncate), untoothed margins, may be wavy, dark green, lighter on underside, often purple-edged when young

Twigs: shiny red-brown, leaf scars form point

Flowers: monoecious, yellow-green, visible but subtle

Fruit: double samara

Bark: gray-brown, doubly fissured, rougher than any other maple

Acer x freemanii, Freeman Maple

(hybrid between Acer rubrum and Acer saccharinum, may resemble either species or a combination of both)

Size: tree, over 30' average height at maturity

Buds: red-brown, blunt-tipped, usually 4-6 visible scales, often in clusters at tips

Leaves: deciduous, opposite, varying sizes, simple, usually 5 lobes, generally resemble A. saccharinum more than rubrum, fall color varies from indistinct to reds and oranges

Flowers: essentially dioecious, rubric has petals saccharinum doesn't, may resemble either, green-yellow to orange or red

Fruit: two-winged maple samara, some cultivars are sterile

Bark: light to dark gray or silvery gray, may be fairly smooth or fissured

Asimina triloba, Pawpaw

Size: tree, 15-20' average height and spread at maturity

Buds: vegetative buds slender naked red-brown tomentose, terminal bud larger than laterals, flower buds rounded, often stalked and at an angle to the stem and densely covered with dark red-brown hairs

Leaves: deciduous, alternate, 6-12" long, 3-6" wide, simple, obovate-oblong, short acuminate apex, entire, medium or dark green on top, lighter green underside, yellow or yellow green in fall

Twigs: glabrous, red-brown, raised leaf scars, 5 bundle scars, in 2-year twigs continuous white pith divided by greenish diaphragms

Flowers: monoecious, purple, 1-2", 6 petals, bloom in May

Fruit: greenish-yellow berry, 2-5", edible

Bark: dark brown and gray when young, rough and slightly scaly with age