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Douglas maple
Acer glabrum
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 A shrub to small tree, 1 to 7 metres in height; the trunk may be divided into a few
slender limbs; these are further divided into many small branches to form an irregular and
even-topped crown.
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Leaves
Leaves are 7 to 10 centimetres wide, divided into 3 to 5 lobes, and have a
typical maple-leaf shape. They are coarsely toothed, dark green on top and greyish-green
underneath, turning bright red-orange in autumn. |
Fruit
The fruit consists of a cluster of winged seeds, joined in pairs at a
sharp angle in a V-shape. The seed wings are about 2.5 centimetres long, and the seeds are
strongly wrinkled and indented.Bark
Generally thin, smooth, and dark reddish-brown; roughened on larger
branches and old trunks. |
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Where to find Douglas
maple
It is widespread at low to mid elevations throughout most of British
Columbia, except in the Queen Charlotte Islands and northern British Columbia.Habitat
Douglas maple occurs on well-drained wet sites and sometimes in avalanche
areas. It inhabits clearings and open forests. |
Uses
Aboriginal people in the Interior had many uses for Douglas maple. The
wood is tough and pliable, and they used it for such items as snowshoe frames, saddle
frames, spoons, dipnet or fishing hoops, bows, rattles, masks, and headdresses. They
soaked the green wood and heated it, then molded it into the desired shape.The Thompson
people used the stringy inner bark to make twine, the Shuswap people used it for rope, and
the Nisga'a for mats. |
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| Douglas maple is suitable as an ornamental and is particularly attractive in the
autumn. Notes
Glabrum means "smooth," perhaps referring to the leaves
or fruit, which have no hairs. |
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