Maple Resources - Online

A set of resources for maple enthusiasts, with a few with relevance to trees in general.

Please suggest other links or let me know if a link no longer works in the thread linked to by the Discussion tab.

Written Maple resources are available here:
Maple Resources - Written

You can find links to nurseries at
Maples: Nurseries Specializing in Maples in North America
and
Maples: Nurseries Specializing in Maples Outside of North America

Online Resources
(for Written Resources, see Maple Resources - Written)

The Maple Society
The Maple Society's goals are to encourage the cultivation of maples, to enable members to learn from each other about their propagation, cultivation, introduction and identification, and to facilitate the study of the botany, uses and cultural needs of maples. Articles shared through the Maple Society's Open Science Initiative are available at
Open Science at the Maple Society | The Maple Society.

Public education and worldwide collaboration are at the heart of the Maple Society’s purpose. The embrace of an Open Science model is a natural extension of our ongoing work through scientific symposia, published material, meetings and on line. The Maple Society's Open Science Initiative shares articles related to maple botany and culture -- including Peter Gregory's Maple Profiles -- in several languages. There is also a Paper Links page which lists scientific papers concerning Acer that are freely available on the web.

The OSI is available to both members and non-members of the Maple Society.

If you are a member of the Maple Society, you are entitled to be recognized as such on your user profile. Click on your name (upper right on the screen), then Personal Details. Enter your real name in the line for Maple Society Sign-up. Once your membership in the society is confirmed, a Maple Society banner will display on your profile.

Link location The Maple Society
Submitted by Daniel Mosquin
Submitted date 06 Oct 2005; last confirmed 5 Nov 2015
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Arboretum Wespelaar
The director of this Belgian arboretum is a Maple Society member, and the site has a lot of good maple information.

A very good list of Acer species with photographs is available here: http://www.arboretumwespelaar.be/EN/Identification_keys_and_illustrations/List_of_illustrated_taxa/ and then click on Acer. You will note that many genera are so illustrated, although some are less complete.

Further there is a searchable database of images linked to the identification keys here: Identificatiesleutels. For example, all the Acer can be listed by entering Acer in the "Scientific Name" box, or species can be searched for individually.

Link location Arboretum Wespelaar
Submitted by emery
Submitted date 3 Jan 2018; last confirmed 8 Mar 2018

Barbara's Japanese Maple Avenue
A weblog featuring (in time) over 250 cultivars of maples (with photographs). Thanks to acerave for pointing it out

Link location Barbara's Japanese Maple Avenue
Submitted by Daniel Mosquin
Submitted date 06 Mar 2007; last confirmed 11 Nov 2015

Czech Maple Photo Gallery
Flora of Czech Republic includes a good Maple section with photos.

Link location Portál české flóry
Submitted by emery
Submitted date 20 Nov 2013; last confirmed 8 Nov 2015

Database of Japanese Woods
The image database of Japanese woody plant specimens housed in the xylarium of the Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute. Navigate to the Herbarium Specimens area, where you can select Aceraceae to see field and herbarium images of Acer species.

Herbarium link location Database of Japanese Woods
Submitted by chimera; link updated by chimera
Submitted date 3 Mar 2010; last confirmed 9 Nov 2015

Don Schmidt Nursery - Maple Books
PDFs with information on each maple variety with several photos. The full book (389 pages) has everything, or you can check out trees by categories like upright, dwarf, variegated...etc. Many show examples of mature trees. There is some discussion regarding this book in the Maple Resources discussion thread.

Link location Don Schmidt Nursery | Maple Books
Submitted by JT1
Submitted date 10 May 2016; last confirmed 28 Nov 2016

érables accueil
Excellent illustrated reference on purportedly all species of Acer, with very accurate info on classification, synonyms, description, habitat. In French; google offers to translate every page. By Jean-Louis Hélardot, a physician who is passionate about trees.

Link location érables accueil
Submitted by AlainK
Submitted date 18 May 2017; last confirmed 18 May 2017

Feng Jing's World of Maples Blog
Taiwanese blogger's ad-supported page has some basic information about maples, detailed pages with good photos on Taiwanese maples and Japanese maples, a page on trees with shapely leaves, a general theory page explaining Japanese maple groups. Chrome does the translation.

Link location 楓槭的世界 :: 隨意窩 Xuite日誌
Submitted by JT1
Submitted date 8 Jun 2018; last confirmed 8 Jun 2018

Forum: Gardenweb.com
Another good mpales forum. GardenWeb is one of the oldest, largest and most comprehensive garden forums. These forums are now part of Houzz.

Link location Maples Forum - GardenWeb
Submitted by Andre
Submitted date 06 Oct 2005; last confirmed 11 Nov 2015

Genus Central™ at Cultivar.org
This link is obsolete but is historical as home of the NEW PLANT PAGE from 1992 to 2008, the first website to document new landscape plants, particularly cultivars (cultivated varieties), and present them in detail with nursery source links in the public interest, updated every single week. The NEW ORNAMENTALS SOCIETY was founded in 1996 to manage this amazing opportunity to share new plant data around the world free and without need for a publisher and having no cost to publish frequent updates. This is believed to be one of the first garden websites to reach 1 million pageviews per year. It was also one of the first garden websites to be cited in academic and professional literature.

All the society's content, now 3.2 Gigabytes and 7000 images strong is found at http://www.cultivar.org. There is some Acer information, a few photos, some links that work and some that do not.
Link location GENUS CENTRAL(TM) OF CULTIVAR.ORG
Submitted by andre; updated by wcutler
Submitted date 06 Oct 2005; ; last confirmed 8 Nov 2015

How to distinguish similar species
This Japanese page defies an English naming and any link to the top level. It is described in detail in the forum thread at Identification: - Helpful ID web resourc Acer palmatum, with links to nine specific species pages. It comes highly recommended. You will want your browser to provide the page translating.

Link location 葉と枝による樹木検索図鑑−類似種の見分け方 他：イロハモミジ-ヤマモミジ-オオモミジ
Submitted by JT1
Submitted date 10 Apr 2018; last confirmed 5 Jun 2018

Instructional Videos - Arboriculture Video Series
Over 50 videos constituting a unique urban tree teaching program for helping municipalities, contractors, arborists, educators, growers, landscapers, and others design and implement programs for promoting better tree health in cities, from the Environmental Horticulture Department at the University of Florida in Gainesville. You can read a bit more in the posting recommending this resource, at Arboriculture Video Series.

Link location Instructional videos - Edward F. Gilman - UF/IFAS
Submitted by JT1
Submitted date 28 Jul 2017; last confirmed 28 Jul 2017

Japanese to English Dictionary, first published
This site may not be working. This compilation, first published in 1867, has now been digitized. It has been recommended for finding meanings of Japanese maple names. Modern Dictionary versions don't always have the same meaning or pronunciation of the word that was used in naming cultivars. Since this was the first, you will find a closer version of the original meaning. Click on click on Digitized Waei Gorin Shūsei Search Page at the upper left. Here is a discussion thread: The first Japanese to English Dictionary.

Link location Meiji Gakuin University Library - Waei Gorin Shūsei(A Japanese and English Dictionary. with an English and Japanese Index )
Submitted by JT1
Submitted date 11 Jun 2019; not confirmed 24 Mar 2021

Japanese Maple Cultivar Classification
The Japanese Maple Classification helps manage the situation by dividing the maples into seventeen distinct groups. By referencing the group the buyer can quickly form a basic impression of the plant’s characteristics. In addition to the Classification there is a short vegetative key to allow placing each Japanese Maple cultivar in the appropriate group.

Link location The Official Japanese Maple Classification of the Maple Society | The Maple Society
Submitted by emery
Submitted date 10 Oct 2018; last confirmed 10 Oct 2018

Japanse Esdoorn - My Own Japanese Maple Collection
This site has a lot of pictures and info about Japanese maples. Site is in Dutch, but by clicking the links at the top, you can navigate to varieties categorized by colour or height, or view the photos by date.

Link location Welkom op de startpagina van Japanse Esdoorn
Submitted by MikawaYatsubusa, updated by maf
Submitted date 3 May 2008; last confirmed 11 Nov 2015

Jaycee Newman, Inc. - Japanese Maples on flickr
This wholesale nursery in Boring, OR was recommended for their splendid photo album of Japanese Maples on flickr. See this thread, Beautiful specimens grown By: Jaycee Newman, Inc, for specific links to their flickr albums and website photos.

Link location Japanese Maples
Submitted by JT1
Submitted date 27 Oct 2017; last confirmed 18 Nov 2017

Key to Acer, 2018, de Langhe & Crowley
The de Langhe Acer key has been updated in collaboration with Maple Society Committee Member Dan Crowley, dendrologist at Westonbirt Arboretum. This new key supersedes the previous versions available here and elsewhere. Gomero wrote in a review of this resource: These keys were field tested by the Maple Society Members both at a previous Maple Society Symposium, and during the 2018 Maple Study Weekend at Wespelaar Arboretum. They were excellent; we obtained 100% ID success rate for all the maples we tested.

Link location https://maplesociety.org/sites/default/files/Key_Acer_JDL.pdf
Submitted by emery
Submitted date 17 July 2019; last confirmed 19 Jul 2018

Maple Acer
A very complete Japanese website by Masayoshi Yano, the author of Book for Maples. In Japanese. On the right hand side are links to different sections, for instance this one カエデモミジ園芸品種リスト that has further links to lists of cultivars.

Link location JGf ~W MAPLE Acer /^A (ganshuku.sakura.ne.jp)
Submitted by Andre; updated by maf
Submitted date 06 Oct 2005; this site is not working as of 20 Jul 2018; anyone have any info? please PM wcutler

Maples & Japanese Culture
Maples and Japanese Culture: "A complete website on maples by a Japanese maple addict, Hajime Hayashida". Good photographic resource.

Link location Maples & Japanese Culture
Submitted by Andre and also by by richardbeasley@comcast.net
Submitted date 06 Oct 2005; last confirmed 14 Jan 2017

Minnesota Wildflowers
Not just wildflowers! If a tree, shrub, flower, grass or fern you want to know about happens to grow in Minnesota, even rarely, the information on this site is detailed, often with comparisons to similar plants, and the photos are excellent. There is an alphabetic browse, and search by six characteristics or by flower colour. This is a privately run site that requests a minimal but not obligatory annual donation.

This forum page, Appreciation: - Acer saccharinum - page with good info and photos, has links to several Acer pages.

Link location Search: latin name contains ‘Acer’; : Minnesota Wildflowers
Submitted by wcutler and JT1
Submitted date 5 Mar 2018; last confirmed 5 Jun 2018

MrMaple Show on YouTube
This YouTube site has over 1000 videos on Japanese Maples both how-to and cultivar descriptions. The site is supported by, and promotes, sales on their Buy Japanese Maples - MrMaple — Mr Maple │ Buy Japanese Maple Trees website.

Link location MrMaple Show - YouTube
Submitted by wcutler
Submitted date 25 Dec 2023; last confirmed 25 Dec 2023

OSU Online Guide to Maple Diseases
Link to Oregon State University Extension index of diseases that affect maples, with information as to cause and symptoms, and possible methods of cultural and chemical control.

Link location Host and Disease Descriptions | Pacific Northwest Plant Disease Handbook
Submitted by maf; link updated by maf
Submitted date 15 Aug 2010; last confirmed 8 Nov 2015

Plantaholic Sheila's Flickr albums
Our own forum member Silver surfer has posted photos of the 220 named Acers species and cultivars from her former garden in Wales. Every single plant was labelled and catalogued. The 1300 photos are split into five albums alphabetically.

Link location Plantaholic Sheila’s albums | Flickr
Submitted by wcutler
Submitted date 01 Apr 2017; last confirmed 01 Apr 2017

Plantes du Japon

This site has a list of plants native to Japan, and they have the Japanese names too, in roman alphabet and in kanji: it can be interesting when looking for Japanese pages that can then be translated into English, or French (with the usual sometimes surrealistic mistakes):

Though there is no direct link to Acer palmatum, there is a page about it. They are called "Momiji", but they list the most common name as "Takaomomiji", saying that it refers to Mount Takao where there are large population of this species.

雄紅葉 TAKAOMOMIJI = Momiji = Irohakaede - Plantes du Japon

Also, they have maps showing the range of the different trees. AlainK writes: I immediately thought of the different "recommended" stratification periods, shorter for Acer palmatum (southern part of Japan, milder climate) and Acer japonicum (northern part of Honshu and Hokkaido, where the climate is much colder and winters longer)...

羽団扇楓 HAUCHIWAKAEDE - Plantes du Japon

Link location Plantes du Japon
Submitted by AlainK
Submitted date 5 Mar 2018; last confirmed 26 May 2021

Pruning: Way of Maple
What is aesthetic pruning? Why does the maple inspire so many people? Find out on this website.

Link location Way of Maple - Aesthetic Pruning of Japanese Maple Trees, Acer Palmatum, Laceleaf Maple
Submitted by richardbeasley@comcast.net
Submitted date 01 Jan 2007; last confirmed 11 Nov 2015

Red List of Maples
A list and discussion (in PDF format) of endangered/threatened/vulnerable maple species can be downloaded from this page at Global Trees Campaign.

Link location The Red List of Maples - Global Trees
Submitted by maf; link updated by maf
Submitted date 18 Feb 2012; last confirmed 8 Nov 2015

Serene Gardens
A personal website with descriptions of a lot of Japanese Maples, and links to several suppliers.

Link location Japanese Maples
Submitted by Andre
Submitted date 06 Oct 2005; last confirmed 15 Jan 2017

Sukiya Living - Japanese Garden Journal
Magazine with articles written by craftsmen who studied in Japan and are considered experts in their craft. They offer topics of interest like Japanese maples, and there are some sample articles. See a detailed description in this forum posting: Pruning: - Acer shirasawanum - PLEASE HELP!! .

Link location Japanese Garden Journal
Submitted by JT1
Submitted date 15 Jan 2017; last confirmed 15 Jan 2017

Sylvics Manual
This publication of the US Forest Service, Northeast Area, was recommended as a great resource on hardwood trees including maples. The information provided is in-depth and covers a wide range; including range of native habitat, growth conditions/ climate, seed germination methods/ reproduction, and damaging agents/ pests & disease. Note also from that site:
Checklist of Organisms Causing Tree Diseases and the Glossary.

Link location Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry
Submitted by JT1
Submitted date 21 Jul 2017; last confirmed 21 Jul 2017

Maples in Japanese with option for translation.

The translation is by google.

★Reference book of Garden Varieties of Acer

★Garden Varieties

★Maple and Maple Variety Museum

★Tree series 22, Yama-momiji, Iroha-momiji &o-momiji

★Identification of Japanese Acer Varieties

★Maple and Acer カエデともみじ stocks (Nursery Stock Shop

Submitted by eteinindia.
Submitted date 14th May 2021, last confirmed 14th May 2021.

Additional maple information in Japanese but can be translated via Google.
カエデともみじ

Submitted by Soumil Yarlagadda 5th February 2022.

World Checklist of Maple Cultivar Names
The World Checklist of Maple Cultivar Names, First Edition, by Peter Gregory and Hugh Angus, was published in 2008. This living cultivar database, Beta Test Edition, may be thought of as the Second Edition of this work, with many corrections and additions, as well as additional information, pictures, and descriptions. It will be constantly updated with new or currently unlisted cultivars, pictures from our large available validated repositories, descriptions, group according to the Japanese Maple classification, and more. If you are not already a member, please contact the Maple Society for information on joining.

Link location is available to Maple Society members.
Submitted by emery; updated by wcutler
Submitted date 04 Jul 2024; last confirmed 04 Jul 2024