HIDDEN TREASURE OF THE ARBORETUM
Acer pensylvanicum Striped Maple , Moosewood
B y P h i l W o o d P h o t o s b y N i a l l D u n n e
TOP : Beautiful vertical striping on the tree bark . INSET : Yellow fall color .
Native to the northeastern United States and eastern Canada , Acer pensylvanicum brings beautiful bark and fall color to the Northwest garden . The tree has many common names , including striped maple and stripedbark maple . Young trunks and branches are olive green with beautiful white and jade-green vertical striping . These stripes can fade as the wood ages , and the bark may turn brown ; however , I ’ ve seen the striping persist on large trunks , plus the stripes continue to appear on newer , younger limbs and branches .
Because moose and deer browse the twigs and leaves , another common name for the tree is moosewood . Those of us of a certain age remember the vegetarian cookbook from the Moosewood Restaurant in Ithaca , New York — in the heart of moosewood country . The book , still beloved today , could be found on the shelf of many kitchens after its publication in 1974 . The restaurant
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