![]() Striped Maple is frequently eaten by North American Porcupines. Red Squirrels, and Eastern Chipmunks eat the seeds. The Striped Maple is probably most important as a browse plant for wildlife. Eastern Chipmunk at John Brown Farm (12 August 2018). Mammals of the Adirondacks: Red Squirrels and Eastern Chipmunks eat the seeds of Striped Maples. Native Americans used the the Striped Maple to treat a variety of ailments including bronchial and kidney troubles, colds, and coughs. Striped Maple has no known edible uses and limited medicinal uses. Farmers in the American colonies and Canada reportedly fed their cattle both dried and green leaves in the winter in the spring, when the buds had begun to swell, they turned their horses and cows into the woods to browse on the young shoots. Native Americans reportedly used the wood to make arrows and the bark to make a beverage. Its porous and fine-grained wood has occasionally been used by cabinet makers for inlay material. Fruits usually develop in September in the Adirondack Mountains. The fruits have widely spaced wings and are about 3/4 inch long, maturing in late summer and early fall. The fruits are somewhat reddish in early development, changing later to tan. In the Adirondack region, flowers usually appear in late May into early June. The flowers are small and greenish yellow, arranged in loose drooping clusters. Striped Maple flowers in late spring or early summer, following leaf development. Both of these latter species mature into large trees, with a straight, single trunk, while the Striped Maple is a small tree or large shrub, often divided into several branches from near the base. The growth habit of the Striped Maple contrasts with that of both the Sugar Maple and the Red Maple.The striped bark of the Striped Maple contrasts with that of the Mountain Maple, which is darker and reddish brown, without conspicuous vertical striping.Mountain Maple leaves are also somewhat smaller on average. However, Mountain Maple leaves are coarsely-toothed, contrasting with the tiny teeth of the Striped Maple leaf. Both generally have three lobes with a heart-shaped or rounded base, although the Mountain Maple leaf sometimes has five lobes. Mountain Maple leaves resemble those of the Striped Maple.By contrast, Striped Maple leaves are uniformly and finely double-toothed. The leaves of the Striped Maple differ from those of the Sugar Maple, which has several pointed tips on each lobe.Although Red Maple and Striped Maple, both have toothed leaf margins, Striped Maple leaves are more shallowly lobed than the deeply lobed leaves of Red Maple.Keys to identifying the Striped Maple and differentiating it from other maples include its leaves, bark, and growth habit. Striped Maple on the Heart Lake Trail (15 August 2018). Trees of the Adirondacks: Striped Maple leaves are finely toothed, in contrast to the coarsely toothed leaves of the Mountain Maple. Striped Maple leaves are a deep yellow-green and smooth above, turning yellow in autumn. The base of the leaf is rounded or slightly heart-shaped. The margins of the leaves are finely toothed. ![]() They usually have three triangular, forward-pointing lobes, with a large central lobe. The leaves of the Striped Maple are large, thin, and somewhat papery. Like other maples, Striped Maples have opposite, lobed leaves. The twigs are green and hairless, becoming striped with whitish lines. As the tree matures, the bark turns reddish-brown with dark vertical lines. It features long white or pale vertical lines. Striped Maple bark is smooth and green or greenish brown. The trunk is generally short and forked, usually divided into a few ascending, arching branches. Striped Maple is a slow-growing understory tree which rarely grows over twenty or thirty feet tall and is often found growing as a shrub. Striped Maple on the Heart Lake Trail (28 June 2017). Trees of the Adirondacks: The bark of the larger stems on a young Striped Maple tree is greenish with distinctive white stripes.
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