Acer truncatum: Uses (Ethnobotany)
Small landscape tree or street tree. Specimen around the home for patios and small areas.
Plant Profile: Acer truncatum
Names
Purple Blow Maple, Shangtung Maple
Phonetic Spelling:AY-ser trunk-AH-tum
Genus:Acer
Species:truncatum
Family:Sapindaceae
The Shangtung Maple is a Chinese tree that typically reaches heights of 20 to 25 feet. It produces flowers in the spring, though they lack ornamental appeal. The tree's leaves are characterized by five lobes and display vibrant fall colors, ranging from yellow to orange and red.
Due to its size, this tree serves as an excellent shade option for smaller gardens. Once established, it demonstrates resilience to heat and drought, thriving in average, well-drained soil and preferring full sun to partial shade.
Acer truncatum Feature Summary
Tags
#hardy
#deciduous
#fall color
#yellow
#full sun tolerant
#drought tolerant
#orange leaves
#wildlife plant
#moths
#yellow flowers
#tree
#maple
#red leaves
#yellow leaves
#nighttime garden
#larval host plant
#moth larvae
#pollinator garden
#imperial moth
Similar Plants
Acer truncatum is often confused with:
Acer truncatum Feature Summary
Attributes
Small landscape tree or street tree. Specimen around the home for patios and small areas.
Northern China, Manchuria, Korea
Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
Extremely drought tolerant but both drought and heat tolerant when established.
Woody
Seed
Stem Cutting
Fruit
Winged double samara to 1.5 inches forming an angle of about 90 degrees.
Samara
1-3 inches
Flowers
Greenish-yellow flowers in clusters in April/May
Gold/Yellow
Insignificant
Corymb
Spring
Leaves
3 to 5 in. opposite, simple leaves with 5 lobes and 2 spurs on the basal lobes point to petiole base. Yellow, orange, and red fall color. Leaf stems bleed a milky sap if broken.
Deciduous
Green
Gold/Yellow
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Simple
Opposite
Palmasect
Entire
Lobed
3-6 inches
3-6 inches
Bark
Often tinged in purple when young. Older branches assume a gray-brown color. Mature trunks are rough and fissured.
Light Gray
Light Brown
Fissured
Ridges
Stem
Moderate, lustrous, reddish brown, glabrous, slightly lenticelled. Leaf scars meet at a point.
Brown/Copper
Red/Burgundy
Smooth (glabrous)
Straight
Smooth/Hairless
Not Conspicuous
Whole Plant Traits
Tree
Deciduous
Rounded
Erect
Broad
Slow
Low
Medium
Cultural Conditions
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acid (<6.0)
Good Drainage
Moist
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
4a
4b
5b
5a
6a
6b
7a
7b
8b
8a
Landscape
Pollinator Garden
Nighttime Garden
Asian Garden
Shade Garden
Shade Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Drought
Heat
Lawn
Small Space
Pollinators
Moths
Acer truncatum Image Gallery
Acer truncatum Attributes
Acer truncatum: Country Or Region Of Origin
Northern China, Manchuria, Korea
Acer truncatum: Wildlife Value
Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
Acer truncatum: Particularly Resistant To (Insects/Diseases/Other Problems)
Extremely drought tolerant but both drought and heat tolerant when established.
Acer truncatum: Life Cycle
Annual
Biennial
Bulb
Perennial
Woody
Acer truncatum: Recommended Propagation Strategy
Division
Grafting
Layering
Leaf Cutting
Root Cutting
Seed
Stem Cutting
Acer truncatum Fruit
Acer truncatum: Fruit Description
Winged double samara to 1.5 inches forming an angle of about 90 degrees.
Acer truncatum: Fruit Type
Achene
Aggregate
Berry
Capsule
Caryopsis
Drupe
Follicle
Legume
Nut
Pome
Samara
Schizocarp
Siliqua
Acer truncatum: Fruit Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
> 3 inches
Acer truncatum Flowers
Acer truncatum: Flower Description
Greenish-yellow flowers in clusters in April/May
Acer truncatum: Flower Color
Gold/Yellow
Acer truncatum: Flower Inflorescence
Catkin
Corymb
Cyme
Head
Insignificant
Panicle
Raceme
Solitary
Spadix
Spike
Umbel
Acer truncatum: Flower Bloom Time
Winter
Spring
Summer
Fall
Acer truncatum Leaves
Acer truncatum: Leaf Description
3 to 5 in. opposite, simple leaves with 5 lobes and 2 spurs on the basal lobes point to petiole base. Yellow, orange, and red fall color. Leaf stems bleed a milky sap if broken.
Acer truncatum: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Acer truncatum: Leaf Color
Green
Acer truncatum: Deciduous Leaf Fall Color
Gold/Yellow
Orange
Red/Burgundy
Acer truncatum: Leaf Type
Compound (Pinnately , Bipinnately, Palmately)
Fronds
Needles
Sheath
Simple
Acer truncatum: Leaf Arrangement
Alternate
Opposite
Other/more complex
Rosulate
Whorled
Acer truncatum: Leaf Shape
Acicular
Auriculate
Cordate
Cuneate
Deltoid
Elliptical
Filiform
Lanceolate
Linear
Oblanceolate
Oblong
Obovate
Obtuse
Orbicular
Ovate
Palmasect
Palmatifid
Peltate
Pinnatifid
Pinnatisect
Reniform
Rhomboidal
Spatulate
Subcordate
Subulate
Acer truncatum: Leaf Margin
Crenate
Crenulate
Dentate
Denticulate
Doubly Crenate
Doubly Dentate
Doubly Serrate
Entire
Lobed
Serrate
Sinuate
Undulate
Acer truncatum: Hairs Present
No
Yes
Acer truncatum: Leaf Length
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Acer truncatum: Leaf Width
< 1 inch
1-3 inches
3-6 inches
> 6 inches
Acer truncatum Bark
Acer truncatum: Bark Description
Often tinged in purple when young. Older branches assume a gray-brown color. Mature trunks are rough and fissured.
Acer truncatum: Bark Color
Light Brown
Light Gray
Acer truncatum: Surface/Attachment
Bumpy
Exfoliating
Fissured
Furrowed
Lenticels
Papery
Patchy
Peeling
Ridges
Scaly
Shaggy
Shiny
Shredding
Smooth
Spongy
Acer truncatum Stem
Acer truncatum: Stem Description
Moderate, lustrous, reddish brown, glabrous, slightly lenticelled. Leaf scars meet at a point.
Acer truncatum: Stem Color
Brown/Copper
Red/Burgundy
Acer truncatum: Stem Is Aromatic
No
Yes
Acer truncatum: Stem Surface
Corky Ridges
Covered with a powdery bloom (glaucous)
Dull
Hairy (pubescent)
Polished
Smooth (glabrous)
Acer truncatum: Stem Form
Straight
Zig Zags
Acer truncatum: Stem Buds
Hairy
Hairy tips
Scaly
Smooth/Hairless
Acer truncatum: Stem Lenticels
Conspicuous
Not Conspicuous
Acer truncatum Whole Plant Traits
Acer truncatum: Plant Type
Annual
Bulb
Carnivorous
Edible
Epiphyte
Fern
Ground Cover
Herb
Herbaceous Perennial
Houseplant
Mushroom
Native Plant
Ornamental Grasses and Sedges
Perennial
Poisonous
Rose
Shrub
Succulent
Tree
Turfgrass
Vegetable
Vine
Water Plant
Weed
Wildflower
Acer truncatum: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
Broadleaf Evergreen
Deciduous
Needled Evergreen
Semi-evergreen
Acer truncatum: Habit/Form
Arching
Ascending
Broad
Cascading
Climbing
Clumping
Columnar
Conical
Creeping
Dense
Erect
Horizontal
Irregular
Mounding
Multi-stemmed
Multi-trunked
Open
Oval
Prostrate
Pyramidal
Rounded
Spreading
Vase
Weeping
Acer truncatum: Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Rapid
Acer truncatum: Maintenance
Low
Medium
High
Acer truncatum: Texture
Fine
Medium
Coarse
Acer truncatum Cultural Conditions
Acer truncatum: Light
Dappled Sunlight (Shade through upper canopy all day)
Deep shade (Less than 2 hours to no direct sunlight)
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day)
Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Acer truncatum: Soil pH
Acid (<6.0)
Alkaline (>8.0)
Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Acer truncatum: Soil Drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Good Drainage
Moist
Occasional Flooding
Occasionally Dry
Occasionally Wet
Very Dry
Acer truncatum: NC Region
Coastal
Mountains
Piedmont
Acer truncatum: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone
4a
4b
5a
5b
6a
6b
7a
7b
8a
8b
Acer truncatum Landscape
Acer truncatum: Landscape Theme
Asian Garden
Butterfly Garden
Children's Garden
Cottage Garden
Cutting Garden
Drought Tolerant Garden
Edible Garden
English Garden
Fairy Garden
Garden for the Blind
Native Garden
Nighttime Garden
Pollinator Garden
Rain Garden
Rock Garden
Shade Garden
Water Garden
Winter Garden
Acer truncatum: Design Feature
Accent
Barrier
Border
Flowering Tree
Foundation Planting
Hedge
Mass Planting
Screen/Privacy
Security
Shade Tree
Small groups
Small Tree
Specimen
Street Tree
Understory Tree
Acer truncatum: Resistance To Challenges
Black Walnut
Compaction
Deer
Diseases
Drought
Dry Soil
Erosion
Fire
Foot Traffic
Heat
Heavy Shade
Humidity
Insect Pests
Pollution
Poor Soil
Rabbits
Salt
Slugs
Squirrels
Storm damage
Urban Conditions
Voles
Wet Soil
Wind
Acer truncatum: Landscape Location
Coastal
Container
Hanging Baskets
Houseplants
Lawn
Meadow
Naturalized Area
Near Septic
Patio
Pond
Pool/Hardscape
Recreational Play Area
Riparian
Rock Wall
Slope/Bank
Small Space
Vertical Spaces
Walkways
Woodland
Acer truncatum: Attracts
Bats
Bees
Butterflies
Frogs
Hummingbirds
Moths
Pollinators
Predatory Insects
Reptiles
Small Mammals
Songbirds
Specialized Bees
