Acer cissifolium

Acer cissifolium is one of the trifoliate maples, a small deciduous tree whose leaves, divided into three coarsely toothed leaflets, look more like those of an ivy or a vine than of a maple, hence the common names ivy-leaved and vine-leaved maple. The species is native to the cool mountain forests of Japan, where these trees grow into an upright oval that broadens with age to a wide, rounded crown. Michael Dirr called the plant "extremely rare in cultivation but certainly worthy of consideration," and that judgment still holds.

Acer cissifolium is dioecious, carrying small, faintly fragrant yellow flowers in slender pendant racemes in spring; where male and female trees grow together the females set winged fruit, and even alone they may form seedless parthenocarpic samaras. New foliage emerges bronze-tinged, matures to a quiet dark green, and turns to soft reds and yellows before dropping.

In the garden the ivy-leaved maple is a refined, modestly scaled tree for a cool, lightly shaded spot, lovely at a woodland edge or as a specimen where the unusual leaf and spreading habit can be appreciated. These trees are happiest in climates with cool summers and even moisture; give them well-drained soil and shelter from harsh afternoon sun.