What Breeds of Japanese Maple Are Found in the Wild?

Rocky Mountain Maple

• The Rocky Mountain maple (Acer glabrum) grows wild throughout the western United States and southward into Mexico. This deciduous tree’s deeply divided leaves are similar to that of the Japanese maple. However, while the Japanese maple has five to eight lobes, the Rocky Mountain maple has three to five. This maple thrives in USDA zones 4 through 8. The leaves are green in the spring and summer, but they put on a brilliant fall display turning from yellow to deep orange. Like the Japanese maple, this tree will only reach 25 to 30 feet tall and will grow in partial shade.

Vine Maple

• The vine maple (Acer circinatum) grows to a stately 40 feet tall, but while it’s young, it can easily be mistaken for the more diminutive Japanese maple. Similar to the Japanese maple, the vine maple tends to have more than one trunk, giving it a shrub-like appearance. The vine maple is native to the Pacific Northwest, western Canada and Alaska in USDA zones 4 through 8. The leaves are green and may have from seven to nine lobes. Like the Japanese maple, these leaves put on an autumn show, turning a golden red.

Mountain Maple

• With its bushy growing habit and brilliant fall color, it’s easy to mistake the mountain maple (Acer spicatum) for a Japanese maple. This tree will reach 25 feet tall upon maturity in USDA zones 3 to 9. Its native range is the northeastern parts of the United States and Canada. The leaves of the mountain maple have three to five lobes and are 3 to 4 inches across. The slender trunks of the mountain maple are light brown and develop groves as they age. Like the Japanese maple, this tree has small, insignificant flowers blooming in late spring.

Striped Maple

• Growing either as a large shrub or small tree, the striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum) reaches 30 feet tall, similar to a Japanese maple. On close inspection, the leaves of the striped maple distinguish it from its Japanese counterpart. Striped maple leaves are green and with slightly less distinctive lobes than the Japanese maple. These leaves grow from 5 to 8 inches wide and turn a brilliant yellow in the fall. Striped maple grows throughout USDA zones 3 to 6 and is native to the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.