Vine Maple
Acer circinatum
A graceful Pacific Northwest understory maple with nearly circular pleated leaves and spectacular orange-red fall color, often sprawling and rooting where its vine-like stems touch the ground. A premier native landscape and woodland-edge small tree in the maritime Northwest, it scorches in full sun without steady moisture.
Field reference
Family
Sapindaceae
Growth rate
Slow
Mature size
10–25 ft tall, 10–20 ft spread
Hardiness zone
5–8
Soil preference
Moist, rich, acidic, well-drained forest soils; needs shade and moisture
Sun
Part shade (full sun only with ample moisture)
Pruning window
Summer or full dormancy; often multi-stem, shape lightly
Wood properties
Hard, dense small-diameter maple wood; minimal rigging. Sprawling, often multi-stemmed and vine-like form with brilliant fall color in its native understory.
Native range
Pacific Northwest, southwest British Columbia to Northern California
Green weight
47 lb/ft³
Pests & diseases to watch
Common questions
Why is it called vine maple?
Its slender, sprawling stems often lean, arch, and root where they touch the ground, giving a vine-like, thicket-forming habit in the forest understory — though in gardens it is usually grown as a graceful small multi-stem tree.
Can vine maple grow in full sun?
Only with consistent moisture and in cooler maritime climates; in hot sun or dry soil its delicate leaves scorch. It performs best in part shade as a woodland-edge or understory specimen, where its fall color is unmatched.
Related species in Sapindaceae
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