Tree Description:
A large shrub or small landscape tree to 15 feet tall, often multi-trunked, twisted, with a spreading crown.
Range/Site Description:
Native to Europe and Asia, it prefers well-drained soils of any texture, but performs poorly on wet sites. Tolerates heat and alkaline soils well.
Leaf:
Blue-green, compound, opposite, with 5 to 7 leaflets arranged palmately, each leaflet 1" to 3" long on a short stalk.
Flower:
Dense, slender, 6" long spikes of white or lavender flowers appear in late spring and summer above the foliage.
Fruit:
Brown to black, fleshy fruits dry into short clusters and persist through winter.
Bark:
Gray, smooth, devloping into irregular blocks.
Wood:
Flowers produce excellent honey; seeds once used as a sedative, the leaves for medicinal use. Sold as a landscape tree in nurseries.
Similar Species:
Japanese maple (Acer palmatum) has simple leaves and serrated leaf edges.
Interesting Facts:
