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Paperbark Maple

1-1, 1-2, 1-4, 2-11, 3-11, 5-2

Paperbark Maple

A stunning winter color tree, the Paperbark Maple was first cultivated in China in 1901. Its striking reddish bark is smooth and wafer thin and peels away to an orangish bark beneath. Its leaves in fall also turn deep red and orange. It is a small, deciduous tree, averaging 30' tall. It flowers in small yellow clusters in the spring and has trifoliate leaves, unlike typical maple leaves. The fruit hangs in double wings. Several cultivars are available, some as shrubs.

Paperbark Maples host about 300 insect species, mostly caterpillars. The most frequent bird species that are attracted to Paperbark Maples are woodpeckers, tanagers and warblers. Grosbeaks and cardinals sometimes feed on the double winged samaras.

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