Acer griseum, the paperbark maple or blood-bark maple, is a species of flowering plant in the family Sapindaceae, native to central China. Acer griseum is found in the Chinese provinces of Gansu, Henan, Hubei, Hunan, Shaanxi, Shanxi and Sichuan, at altitudes of . The bark is smooth, shiny orange-red, peeling in thin, papery layers; it may become fissured in old trees. The shoots are densely downy at first, this wearing off by the second or third year and the bark exfoliating by the third or fourth year.

Cultivation and uses

Acer griseum was introduced to cultivation in Europe in 1901 by Ernest Henry Wilson for the Veitch Nurseries in the UK, and to North America shortly after. It is one of many species of maples widely grown as ornamental plants in temperate regions. It is admired for its decorative exfoliating bark, translucent pieces of which often stay attached to the branches until worn away. It also has spectacular autumn foliage which can include red, orange and pink tones. Cultivars include the columnar Copper Rocket.

This plant has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

In 2015, the North America-China Plant Exploration Consortium (NACPEC) conducted an expedition specifically targeting Acer griseum for seed collection with the object of increasing the genetic diversity of plants in cultivation. Propagation of Acer griseum is somewhat difficult as seeds have the same parthenocarpic tendencies as those of Acer maximowiczianum.

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Image:Paperbark Maple, Acer Griseum.jpg|Trunk (UBC Botanical Garden)

Image:Acer griseum3.jpg|Trunk

File:At Dunham Massey 2024 024.jpg|Trunk with peeling bark

Image:Acer griseum5.jpg|Foliage and immature seeds

Image:Paperbark Maple Acer griseum Brown Seeds 2000px.jpg|Foliage and seeds

File:Acer griseum MHNT.BOT.2010.4.1.jpg|Seeds

File:Paperbark Maple Acer griseum Bark Vertical.JPG|Bark

Image:Paperbark Maple Acer griseum Bark 3008px.jpg|Bark

File:Paperbark Maple Acer griseum Branch.JPG|Bark peeling closeup

File:Paperbark Maple Acer griseum Contrast.JPG|Bark peeling only on the live branch

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References

  • Del Tredici, Peter. "The Paperbark Maple—One Hundred Years Later." Arnoldia 65 (2) (2007).
  • Meyer, Paul W. "Paperbark Maple Acer griseum." Arnoldia 68 (2) (2010).