Paperbark Maple has dark green foliage throughout the season. The compound leaves turn outstanding shades of orange and indian red in the fall. Neither the flowers nor the fruit are ornamentally significant. The peeling indian red bark is extremely showy and adds significant winter interest.
Paperbark Maple is a multi-stemmed deciduous tree with a shapely oval form. Its relatively fine texture sets it apart from other landscape plants with less refined foliage.
Paperbark Maple will grow to be about 30 feet tall at maturity, with a spread of 25 feet. It has a high canopy with a typical clearance of 6 feet from the ground, and should not be planted underneath power lines. As it matures, the lower branches of this tree can be strategically removed to create a high enough canopy to support unobstructed human traffic underneath. It grows at a slow rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for 80 years or more.
This tree does best in full sun to partial shade. It prefers to grow in average to moist conditions, and shouldn't be allowed to dry out. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America.