Acer Pensylvanicum L. Striped Maple
Acer pensylvanicum L. Striped Maple Aceraceae Maple family William J. Gabriel and Russell S. Walters Striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum) (81, also called by its conspicuous vertical white stripes on greenish- moosewood, is a small tree or large shrub identified brown bark. It grows best on shaded, cool northern Figure l-The native range of striped maple. The authors are Research Geneticist (retired) and Research Forester, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, Radnor, PA. 53 Acer pensylvanicum slopes of upland valleys where it is common on well- vania, and New Jersey, and in the mountains to drained sandy loams in small forest openings or as northern Georgia (28). The species is distinct from an understory tree in mixed hardwoods. This very other maples, and there is no evidence of intergrad- slow growing maple may live to be 100 and is probab- ing with other species. ly most important as a browse plant for wildlife, although the tree is sometimes planted as an or- Climate namental in heavily shaded areas (33,371. The important climatic factors within the range of Habitat striped maple are as follows: total annual precipita- tion, 710 to 1630 mm (28 to 64 in); normal monthly Native Range growing season precipitation (May, June, July, and August), 50 to 100 mm (2 to 4 in) in the northern Striped maple (figs. 1, 2) is widely distributed over and eastern part of the range and from 100 to 200 the northeastern quarter of the United States and mm (4 to 8 in) in the central and southern sections; southeastern Canada. Its natural range extends from mean annual total snowfall, 5 to 250 cm (2 to 100 in> Nova Scotia and the Gaspe Peninsula of Quebec, with pockets up to 500 cm (200 in); mean length of west to southern Ontario, Michigan, and eastern frost-free period between the last 0” C (32” F) Minnesota; south to northeastern Ohio, Pennsyl- temperature in the spring and the first 0” C (32” F) in the autumn, 90 to 210 days; and average January temperature, -12” C (10’ F) to 4” C (40” F) (43).
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