plant maple seeds Rocky Mountain Maple

Rocky Mountain Maple (Acer glabrum var. douglasii) is a charming, Western State version of Acer glabrum, an entertaining understory maple that is found throughout mountain regions across the U.S. Rocky Mountain Maple is not commonly found in nurseries, making it a somewhat rare, but nevertheless gorgeous, smaller maple that can rival the widely cultivated Japanese Maple for interest and color.

One of five varieties of Acer glabrum, the douglasii is native from Western Canada down into California along the Pacific Coast and inland through Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico. It is often associated with Vine Maple and usually grows among towering conifers on mid-mountain slopes and in canyons, typically remaining a smaller, multi-stemmed shrub-like tree under 12 feet tall. Where it has more exposure and space, Rocky Mountain Maple displays a more open form and gets taller (to around 35 feet with a 10 – 15 foot spread).

Rocky Mountain Maple is a quite versatile tree, as its distribution from Alaska to Arizona corroborates. It takes cold weather in stride (down to 30°F below zero), and tolerates heat as well. It deals well with both sunny and shady locations, damp streamsides, as well as dry mountain ridges. Deciduous, with classic 3-lobed maple leaves and winged seeds, Rocky Mountain Maple’s fall colors are resplendent in yellows, reds, and oranges, and its smaller size makes it a great choice for any yard or garden where space is a consideration. Good in containers too. Native peoples made tremendous use of this species for everything from snowshoe frames to rope to food and medicine. Rocky Mountain Maple: a truly fine, tough and beautiful, lesser known maple!

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