Trident Maple

A small deciduous tree from eastern China and Korea with three-lobed leaves unlike any other maple in cultivation. Each leaf has three distinct, forward-pointing triangular lobes with lustrous dark green upper surfaces. The bark matures into one of the tree's strongest features: gray-brown plates that exfoliate to reveal orange undertones, scaling off in irregular patches. Flowers are yellow, small, and forgettable in April to May. The samaras have nearly parallel wings, about 2 cm long. Fall color runs orange, red, and yellow.

Hardy to Zone 5a. Full sun. Tolerates urban conditions, compacted soils, and drought once established. Increasingly used as a street and shade tree where space is limited. Two cultivars are in the trade: 'Streetwise', selected for street tree form, and 'Miyasama Yatsubusa', a dwarf at six feet for containers and small gardens. Nineteen diseases and fifteen pests are documented at the genus level; Verticillium wilt is the primary structural threat, persisting indefinitely in soil where susceptible species have grown.