David's Maple, Snakebark Maple

We bought our plant as a 3' tall whip, probably 2 years old. In the first year in the ground it grew sluggishly and we were a bit concern...Read Moreed. In this, the second year, it has grown at least 1' and I expect it may be 2' by the end of the summer. It flowered and fruited this spring, which was unexpected. Flowers are interesting but not showy. New shoots are pink to red which mature to green and finally the very attractive whitish striping. No fall color last year but I hope this changes. We are in an extremely mild-winter area in San Francisco so we may never see what the tree is capable of. We get steady sea breezes but the plant doesn't seem overly affected. This tree is planted in front of our 2nd floor living room window and I hope it will be tall enough to be visible in five years or so. So far a good choice and the only other ones I know of in SF are in the arboretum.

Dirr says this is hardy in Z5-7 where summers are cool, and that in the US it's only well adapted to the Pacific northwest. Dirr also say...Read Mores its mature height is 30-50'.

Boston's Arnold Arboretum (Z6a) grows 8 different accessions of this species.

I was thrilled to find a specimen in my area (Olympia WA). I planted it, tended it, and fussed over it for 2 years, only to be heart-bro...Read Moreken when it died within 2 months from what appeared to be verticillium wilt.

Acer davidii DAVID MAPLE Dec (z6) (Bon)
"A small tree with attractively striated green & white bark"(Hillier) & large dark-green ...Read Moreleaves on "rhubarb-red stalks"; in autumn, nice fall color & attractive winged fruits all along the branches. Sun-PSh/Med