Leaves are opposite, trifoliate, leaflets about 3" long, somewhat leathery, with red petioles. Lateral leaflets are unevenly serrated with the outer edge serrated. Fall color is beautiful.
Stems are small, thin, twiggy, but develop exfoliating bark at a young age. Love the buds when they start to expand.
Flowers are in clusters of threes, hence the common name, small, greenish yellow and hardly noticeable.
Fruit is a winged samara that hang almost parallel to one another, about 1.25" long.
Bark is beautiful. Exfoliates in thin sheets that look more like a Heritage birch than a paperbark maple. Older bark does not peel off and turns brown with deep furrows.
Misidentification: Paper bark maple - but the bark is not deep red.
Location:
Aptos
142 Seacliff Dr.