 Goose Feet of the Forest - Striped Maple
Striped Maple is also called Goosefoot Maple because each leaf, with its three shallow lobes, resembles a goose foot.
Striped Maple (Acer pensylvanicum) is a small tree of the forest understory. It reaches a maximum height of about about twenty-five feet tall, with a trunk width of about eight inches. Look for it among hardwood trees growing on moist rich soils and rocky slopes throughout Maine.
Common names for Striped Maple include:
- Goosefoot Maple - because each shallow-lobed leaf resembles a goose foot.
- Snakebark Maple - because the bark's vertical stripes resemble the markings of a snake.
- Moosewood - because moose eat the bark of Striped Maple during the winter.
Learn more about Striped and other maples in the maples section of the Forest Trees of Maine.
Wishing you wonderful woods walking!
Jocelyn
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Flowers of the Striped Maple hang in loose clusters called racemes.
Looking from beneath the leaves of a Striped Maple to see both the flowers and the finely toothed leaf edges.
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