Plant of the Week: Acer spicatum

Plant of the Week! Acer spicatum, Mountain Maple, is a shrub-form maple found in the understory of wet forests, more common in northern Wisconsin. It can also be found on thin soils over limestone or dolomite. It’s a beautiful shrub that forms upright pointed clusters of flowers in June/July. Mountain Maple is very useful for the prevention of erosion in steep areas. When their branches become buried in organic matter, they form roots. In this way a colony can be easily created. Mountain Maple is shade tolerant, but needs some protection from wind and evenly moist soil. To learn more, visit: https://www.uwgb.edu/biodiversity/herbarium/trees/Acespi01.HTM and https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=acsp2