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Acer circinatum

Vine Maple

At a Glance: Tall, erect, multi-trunked shrub or small tree with sprawling branches.

Height: 13-26 feet (4-8 meters)
Growth Form: Tree or shrub.
Stems: Bark is initially smooth and bright green, eventually turning brown with age.
Leaves: Leaves are palmate (arranged like fingers on the palm of a hand) with seven to nine lobes; leaf surfaces are hairy on upper and lower sides and along veins; margins are toothed. Size: 5-12 cm (2-5 in) across. Leaves are green in spring; in early fall they turn orange-red or red in full sun or golden in the shade. Additionally, leaves are oppositely arranged on branches.
Flowers: Flowers grow in small loose clusters at the end of shoots. Flower sepals are purple and red, hairy and spreading; petals are creamy white with purple/red highlights. Flower size: 6-9 mm across.
Flowering Period: May, June.
Fruits: The fruit is a two-seeded winged fruit called a samara. The wings of the samara point away from each other on the same horizontal plane. Size: 2-4 cm (0.8-2 in) long; color: fruits are initially green then later turn a reddish-brown.


Photo © 2003, Starflower Foundation

Sun/Shade Tolerance	Hydrology	Elevation Range
Shade tolerant and commonly found in understories. full sun > 80% mostly sunny 60%-80% partial sun and shade 40%- 60% mostly shady 60%-80% full shade > 80%	Favors well drained moist to wet soils. wet moist dry Wetland Indicator Status: FACU (facultative upland)	Found at elevations below 760 meters. low elevation mid elevation sub-alpine high elevation

Soil Preferences
Prefers well drained, nitrogen-rich soils.
sandy soils gravelly soils clay soils muddy soils peaty soils	well drained soils shallow soils deep soils acidic soils basic soils	humic soils nutrient rich soils nutrient poor soils mineral soils organic soils

Habitat Preferences
Aquatic and Wetland: Ponds or lakes Shallow pools Sloughs Swales or wet ditches Seasonally inundated areas Marshes or swamps Aquatic bed wetlands Emergent wetlands Scrub-shrub wetlands Forested wetlands Bogs, fens Seeps, springs Shorelines and Riparian: Lake shores Bog margins Streams or rivers Stream or river banks Riparian corridors River bars Floodplains Bottomlands Alluvial areas	Saltwater Areas: In or near saltwater Mud flats Tidal areas Estuaries Saltmarshes Brackish water Seashores Coastal dunes or beaches Rocky or Gravelly Areas: Coastal bluffs Cliffs Rocky slopes Outcrops Crevices Glacial outwash Gullies Slide areas Sub-alpine and Alpine: Heaths Snow beds Tundra Avalanche tracks	Forests and Thickets: Forests and woods Open forests Coniferous forests Old growth forests Deciduous forests Mixed forests Nurse logs Forest edges, openings, or clearings Thickets Meadows and Fields: Pastures or fields Meadows or grassy areas Mossy areas Disturbed Areas: Roadsides Trailsides Logged sites Burned areas Disturbed sites

Wildlife Value
Berries Seeds Nectar for hummingbirds Nectar for butterflies Host for insect larvae Thickets and shelter Thorny or protective cover	Birds: Birds that eat the seeds include grosbeaks, woodpeckers, nuthatches, finches, quail, and grouse. Insects: A larvae plant for the brown tissue moth and the Polyphemus moth. A good nectar source for bees. Mammals: Deer, mountain beavers, and other beavers eat the twigs and wood.

Ethnobotanical Uses and Other Facts

Material Uses: Vine maple wood is very dense and hard. It was used by northwest native groups to build snowshoe frames, drum hoops, and a variety of other small implements such as spoons and dishes. The Quinault peoples used the hard wood to make baskets. The Quinault, Chehalis, Quileute, and Lummi used the wood to construct dipnet fish traps. The Quinault also used the wood to hold down the roof planks on houses. The Skagit used the wood to make babies cradles and salmon tongs. Many groups used the wood for fire fuel. The Quinault used the burnt charcoal and mixed it with oil to make black paint. The Suquamish and Cowichan used the wood to make knitting needles. The Suquamish and Katzie also sometimes used the wood to make bows from the straighter branches.

Suggested References

Cooke, S.S. A Field Guide to the Common Wetland Plants of Western Washington and Northwetern Oregon. Seattle Audubon Society and Washington Native Plant Society. Page 19.
Guard, B.J. 1995. Wetland Plants of Oregon & Washington. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 194.
Gunther, E. 1973. 2nd ed. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press. Page 40.
Jacobson A.L. 2001. Wild Plants of Greater Seattle. Published by author. Page 88.
Link, R. 1999. Landscaping for Wildlife in the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. Page 245.
Lyons, C., W. Merilees. Trees and Shrubs to Know in Washington and British Columbia. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 95.
Pojar, J., A. Mackinnon. 1994. Plants of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Lone Pine Publishing. Page 93.
Turner, N.AJ. 1975. Food Plants of British Columbia Indians: part 1, Coastal Peoples. British Columbia Provincial Museum. Page 127.

The landscaping and restoration information provided on this page is taken from the Starflower Foundation Image Herbarium. All photographs © Starflower Foundation unless otherwise noted.