Here is a multi-trunked shrub that has been confusing me for the past few months at our new home. The tree has been around a while and consistis of numerous trunks up to 2" in calliper and grey smooth bark. I have turned the pages of Maples of the World and the gallery here in the UBC, but I cannot make any sort of conclusive determination about the plant. The photos here were taken last week and since then the purple hues have changed to more of a washed out red. The leaves are pretty uniform with mostly rounded lobes in 3's but occassional hints of 5. The leave are thin and not very substantial. A light green is the predominant summer color. No seeds to be found as of now. I have thought Acer campestre, but I am not very comfortable with that ID. I suspect this is a pretty easy ID for someone with a broader understanding of the maples species, where I know much more about palamtums, shirasawanums and japonicums, I am just learning many of the others. Thanks for the help. MJH
Let's suppose this plant did not yield any lace caps and produced samaras instead, what would this plant be as a Maple then? There are some Maples that do have this same basic leaf shape, perhaps not the same Fall colors of a Viburnum but there is a Maple that is close that will turn similar colors as these in certain locales in Oregon. I've seen them in Salem, Eugene, Roseburg as well as in Medford. Jim
Thanks Ron and Jim. Well if it is a Viburnum I suppose it can be move out of the forum. Just a couple questions. I got here in June/July of this year and there were no lace caps or flowers. Additionally, I have seen no berries to speak of. There are a lot of birds around the place, maybe they got them before I saw them. The upper part of the tree gets adequate sun and should fruit. Will all Viburnum opulus fruit. Jim, I agree that when I was looking through Maples of the World I came up on a number of maples with similar leaf shape, but the fall colors did not seem in-line. Thanks, MJH
