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Acer glabrum
Common Name Rocky Mountain Maple
Family Aceraceae (Maple Family)

Description

This can be a shrub or a small tree at heights ranging from 2-8 meters. The most ornamental feature of this maple is the striking red bark. The serrated, palmate leaves are also quite attractive. The light green color of the leaves makes for a nice contrast with the bright red bark.

Range

Occurs in the intermountain west north to Alaska and northeast into South Dakota. Elevation: 5,000 - 10,500ft.

Culture

Prefers deep soils with plenty of water.

Value

Actually has more all season assets than its cousin, bigtooth maple, as the bright red, one-year-old stems are equal to red-stem dogwood in attractiveness, and it also has great read fall color. Much more of a large shrub, as it goes multi-stemmed quite early in life. Not as drought tolerant as bigtooth either.

Propagation

Rocky Mountain Maple bear seeds from September until February. Sowing should be done in the fall under mulch. To start indoors cold treat for 90 to 120 days. Sowing seed that has an emerged radical (small root) and leaving the rest in cold treatment may be the best solution as germination is very sporadic. Also warm treatment followed by cold treatment may be helpful. Or sow outdoors as mentioned above. Rocky Mountain Maple is difficult from cuttings.