Vine Maple

An integral part of the understory to Northwest forests, the Vine Maple (Acer circinatum) doubles as one of the most useful native trees to the Pacific Northwest landscape and one of the best native trees for the home landscape. This tree is widely enjoyed for its rugged growth habit, interesting bark coloration, and beautiful bright red to orange-yellow fall leaf color.

The Vine Maple is a great native alternative to Japanese Maples as they are similar in size and are reminiscent of each other’s tiered branching. This small-sized tree is relatively fast-growing (1-2’ feet a year) and reaches full maturity quickly. It can tolerate a variety of conditions but prefers partial sun and well-drained soils. It is a great tree to plant around buildings due to its ability to thrive in partial sun.