Virginia Tech Dendrology

trident maple Aceraceae Acer buergerianum Miq. symbol: ACBU4
Leaf: Opposite, simple, 3 triangular lobes, entire or slightly serrated margin, 2 to 3 inches long, shiny dark green above, paler or whitened beneath.
Flower: Small, yellowish-green, occurring in terminal slightly rounded clusters, appearing in mid-spring.
Fruit: Double samara, 1inch long, hanging at about a 60 degree angle, mature in October-November.
Twig: Slender, flexible, reddish brown with gray pubescence; buds conical, reddish brown sharp pointed.
Bark: Scaly and exfoliating on larger stems, gray outer bark flakes off, revealing lighter reddish brown patches.
Form: Small tree to 20-30 feet, typically forking low and spreading fairly wide into a rounded crown.
Looks like: hedge maple - Amur maple - Tatarian maple

Additional Range Information: Acer buergerianum is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and is not known to widely escape cultivaton. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information