Painted maple
Acer pictum

Family: Sapindaceae

What it is like

A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.

There are about 120-150 Acer species.

Where it is found

It is a temperate plant. In China it grows from sea level to 3,300 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 5-8.

Countries/locations it is found in

Asia, China, Himalayas, Japan, Korea, Mongolia, Russia, Tibet

How it is used for food

The sap is boiled and used as a drink. The fresh leaves are eaten or used to wrap food. The leaves are parboiled.

Edible parts

Leaves, sap

How it is grown

Its other names

Local names

Goraesulnamu, Gorosoenamu

Synonyms

Acer cappadocicum subsp. mayrii (Schwer.) A. E. Murray; and others