Maple, Amur | Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum | SUNY Buffalo State College

An Amur maple located between Rockwell Hall and Bacon Hall.

The bright red and green seeds of the Amur maple. The scientific term for its winged seeds (and all winged seeds) is 'samara'

A closeup of the colorful samaras of the Amur maple.

Lichens cling to the grey bark of an Amur maple.

Scientific name: Acer ginnala

Common name: Amur maple

Native: No

Native range: It is native to China and Japan [1,2,3,4,5,6].

Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for A. ginnala.

USDA Zones: 3-8 [1]

Maximum age: Unclear, however other maples may live upwards of 500 years [6].

Ecology: In North America, it may provide shelter and forage for deer, small mammals, and birds [2,6]. However, in the midwestern United States, it displaces native shrubs and plants in the understory, eliminating native habitat and food resources [5].

Ethnobotany: It is mainly planted as an ornamental and may also be used in bonsai [1,2,6]. It is traditionally used as an astringent, an anti-inflammatory, a tea substitute, and a source of blue and black dyes [1,4].