← Bedfellow

Mountain Maple

Acer spicatum

Mountain maple is a small, shrubby understory maple of cool northern forests, the only native maple with upright flower spikes. Brilliant red-and-yellow fall color brightens shaded, rocky slopes. Like other maples, the sap can be tapped and boiled into syrup.

Family

Sapindaceae

Type

tree

Lifespan

perennial

Height

25–25 ft

Spacing

10–20 ft apart

Light

sun, shade

Soil moisture

moist

Soil pH

acidic, neutral

Bloom

March, April, May

Bloom colors

yellow, green, brown

Wildlife value

pollinators, larval host

Caterpillar hosts

~297 butterfly & moth species

Landscape uses

specimen, hedge or screen

Native states

CT, GA, IA, KY, MA, MD, ME, MI, MN, NC, NH, NJ, NY, OH, PA, RI, SC, TN, VA, VT, WI, WV