Habitat

• native to China
• zone 4

Habit and Form

• to 30' tall, small tree
• deciduous
• shape is oval, upright or irregular
• short main trunk with several secondary, more or less upright scaffold trunks
• texture is fine to medium
• slow growing

Summer Foliage

• opposite, trifoliate leaves 3" to 5" long
• soft, blue-green color, almost frosty or white on underside

Autumn Foliage

• can be a pronounced red, but frequently is green with red overtones on exposed leaf surfaces
• last trifoliate maple to color

Flowers

• green, inconspicuous

Fruit

• samaras, 1.5" to 2" long, pubescent nutlet

Bark

• exfoliating cinnamon-brown bark, peeling in thin sheets and also polished smooth in places
• very attractive bark, a strong ornamental feature

Culture

• relatively pest free
• prefers a moist, well-drained, slightly acidic soil
• full sun or partial shade

Landscape Uses

• specimen
• possibly in mini-groves
• edge of woods
• good choice for small yards

Liabilities

• may be somewhat expensive
• once rare and pricey, but becoming readily available

ID Features

• trifoliate leaves and exfoliating cinnamon-brown bark
• buds sharply pointed and dark purplish-brown

Propagation

• by seed, but only around 5% of the samaras are viable
• has been grafted on Acer saccharum with some success
• cuttings from hedged, seedling (juvenile) plants can be rooted

Cultivars/Varieties

Hybrids between A. nikoense and A. griseum have been cultivated. Dr. Sid Waxman, University of Connecticut, has selected such a hybrid and named it 'Cinnamon Flake'. This attractive plant features bark that flakes in smaller strips than the species. The stem surface often appears pleated like corduroy.

'Ginzam' (Gingerbread™) - A hybrid of A. griseum and A. nikoense that features fine bark and a faster growth rate than the species, maturing at 30' tall. A tree with these traits may hold great promise in the future.