• Photographs of winter, summer and fall habit of Acer griseum (Paper bark maple).
• The cinnamon colored bark makes this tree easy to spot throughout much of the year.
• The Morton Arboretum's online collection catalog lists a total of 14 trees with all but one arriving at the arboretum during the 1950's.
• The photos on this page are of one of the 4 that are located at the top of Frost Hill. This tree will almost certainly be pointed out to you if you take the tram ride.
  • Watch for it on the left side of the road just before you begin your descent toward Parking 4.
• The flowers of the paperbark maple are yellow-green and appear in the spring.
  • Photo taken in mid-May. The wings of the samara (fruit) are already obvious, but much of the flower remains.
  • Flowers are in clusters of 3.
• Leaves of the Paper bark maple are trifoliate, coursely toothed, blue-green on the top and pubescent on the underside.
  • The middle leaflet is short stalked but the lateral leaflets are almost sessile (without a stalk).
• This picture showing the fruit of the Acer griseum was taken in late June.  
  • Fruit was lined up in groups of 3 pairs together.
  • Generally each member of the pair was of equal size. 
• Buds of the Paper bark maple are brownish-black.
  • They are sharp-pointed and narrow conical.
• The thin peeling, cinnamon colored bark is the hallmark of the Paper bark maple.
  • The tree is very smooth in places where the bark has peeled away.  
  • The bark begin to exfoliate when the trees are young.
• The Acer griseum prefers full sun, but does will in partial shade. 

Hardiness Zone: 5
Mature Height: 20-30 feet
Mature Form: Rounded to oval

Source for classification listing: USDA, NRCS. 2004. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA. 

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