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Summary

Bloom Color: Purple. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded, Spreading or Horizontal, Upright or erect.

Physical Characteristics

Acer_circinatum is a deciduous Tree growing to 12 m (39ft) by 8 m (26ft) at a slow rate.
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen from October to November.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

The sap contains a certain amount of sugar and can either be used as a drink, or can be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water[183]. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. The concentration of sugar is considerably lower than in the sugar maples (A. saccharum). The tree trunk is tapped in the early spring, the sap flowing better on warm sunny days following a frost. The best sap production comes from cold-winter areas with continental climates.

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

The wood was burnt to charcoal and mixed with water and brown sugar then used in the treatment of dysentery and polio[257].

References More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them[18, 20]. The young shoots are quite pliable and are used in basket making[118]. Straight shoots can be used to make open-work baskets[257]. A charcoal made from the wood can be mixed with oil and used as a black paint[257]. Wood - hard, heavy, durable, close-grained, strong according to some reports, but not strong according to others. Too small to be commercially important, the wood is used for cart shafts, tool handles, small boxes etc[46, 61, 82, 118, 226, 229, 257]. One report says that the wood is quite pliable and was used for making bows, snowshoe frames etc, whilst young saplings could be used as swings for baby cradles[257]. The wood is almost impossible to burn when green and has served as a cauldron hook over the fire[226].

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Specimen. Of easy cultivation, it succeeds in most good soils[11], preferring a good moist well-drained soil on the acid side[182]. Prefers a sunny position but tolerates some shade[11, 200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Plants are hardy to about -20°c[184]. Chlorosis can sometimes develop as a result of iron deficiency when the plants are grown in alkaline soils, but in general maples are not fussy as to soil pH. A very ornamental tree[1], a number of varieties are in cultivation[11, 200]. The branches tend to coil around other trees in much the same way as vines[226]. (A strange report because vines do not coil but climb by means of tendrils formed in the leaf axils[K].) The tree sends out long slender arching branches in the wild. These form roots when they touch the ground and the plant thereby forms large impenetrable thickets often several hectares in extent[82]. Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[18, 20]. Special Features:North American native, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

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Plant Propagation

Seed is usually of good quality when produced in gardens. It is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it usually germinates in the following spring. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. It can be slow or very poor to germinate, especially if it has been dried. The seed can be harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has dried and produced any germination inhibitors) and sown immediately. It should germinate in late winter. If the seed is harvested too soon it will produce very weak plants or no plants at all[80, 113]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions. This tree often self-layers and can be propagated by this means. Cuttings of young shoots in June or July. The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter. Cultivars of this species can be grafted onto A. palmatum, which makes a better rootstock than this species.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

NORTHERN AMERICA: Canada (British Columbia), United States (Oregon, Washington, California (north))

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so itâ€™s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Height	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other
Acer circinatum	Vine Maple	Tree	12.0	6-9	S	LMH	SN	M	2	1	2

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

Acer_circinatum - Pursh.