Painted maple is a deciduous tree in the maple family (Sapindaceae) that is native to forests in Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia, and Eastern Russia. Genus name is the Latin name for maple trees. The specific epithet means painted or brightly colored. This tree will grow 30-50 feet tall with a similar spread and a rounded form. It can also be trained to grow in a shrub form. Plant in moist, well-drained acidic soils in partial shade to full sun. It is adaptable to other soils. The lobed leaves have bronze tints in spring and turn green is summer. The fall color is bright gold with some red. Leaf stems exude a milky sap when cut. Insignificant flowers appear in spring and are followed by winged samaras. Use this tree as a specimen, a small shade tree or as a bonsai specimen. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No serious problems. See potential insect and disease problem fact sheets to the left. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common maple diseases and insect pests. More information on Acer .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; High Organic Matter; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist
Mature size
Height: 30 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in. | Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 40 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Rapid
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded; Spreading; Vase
Texture
Medium
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Orange
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf margin
Lobed
Leaf size
3-6 inches long
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
3 to 6 in. opposite, simple leaves with 5 to 7 short triangular lobes; new leaves are bronze; bright green in summer and resistant to sunburn; bright gold with crimson fall color
Fall color
Gold/Yellow; Red/Burgundy
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green
Flower form
Umbel
Flower detail
Greenish yellow flowers appear in April-May in upright clusters (umbels).
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit type
Samara
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Forests in Japan, China, Korea, Mongolia and Eastern Russia
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.