Scientific Name
Acer triflorum
Three-flowered maple is one of the few maples with a compound leaf, made up of three leaflets. When you glance at it quickly, especially from a distance, the leaflets can blur together and resemble a typical single maple leaf. This species is native to the colder regions of China (Manchuria) as well as North and South Korea.
It is closely related to the better-known paperbark maple (Acer griseum), and the two share some ornamental traits, including attractive bark. In three-flowered maple, the bark is brown to golden, with loose vertical peeling and shallow fissures that give it year-round character. Its fall color is another highlight, often showing shades of orange to red that can hold well into the season.
This is a small tree, typically reaching about 20 feet in our area, though the Colorado champion in Fort Collins has reached 25 feet. It is very cold hardy and is often recommended for full sun. However, our experience in Denver suggests it benefits from some afternoon shade, since hot summer exposure can lead to leaf scorch. It also tends to leaf out early in spring, which makes it vulnerable to late freezes and sometimes forces a second flush of growth.
The name “three-flowered” comes from the way its flowers are borne in small clusters of three.