Vine Maple

Acer circinatum

General: Shrub or scraggly small tree to 7 m tall, the sprawling branches often rooting and forming new colonies; stems pale green, becoming dull brown with ages.

Leaves: Maple leaves, opposite, deciduous, round, 5-12 cm across, 7 to 9 lobed, toothed, hairy on the lower surface, hairy on the upper surface, at least along the veins; becoming either golden (in the shade) or bright red (in full sun) in the autumn.

Flowers: White, 6-9 mm broad; in clusters at the end of shoots.

Fruits: Winge fruits 2-4 cm long; green becoming reddish or brown; in widely spreading (almost in a straight line) pairs. 

Ecology: Moist to wet places, generally under other trees where some light reaches the forest floor (canopy openings, forest edges) but sometimes in open areas like shrubfields, clearcuts, or lava flows; low to middle elevations.