Rocky Mountain Maple

Rocky Mountain Maple
(Acer glabrum)

These trees are a little smaller than the Big-Tooth Maples, and are not as common in our area.

They occur in our canyons, usually at a somewhat higher elevation than the Big-Tooth (although their ranges overlap somewhat).

The leaves are a little smaller than those of the Big-Tooth Maple. They have three lobes, and are sometimes divided into three separate leaflets, as shown in the photo above.

The seeds are borne in two connected winged fruits (called a double samara), similar to the seeds of other members of the maple family.

(See Boxelder
and Big-Tooth Maple)