GLEBE TREES AND SHRUBS
Manitoba maple (Acer negundo)
Full tree
May 7, 2008, Fletcher's - arboretum.
Manitoba maple are everywhere in the Glebe. They often seem to be growing out at an angle.
It can grow in a scraggly fashion or not. Young shoots are often very green.
Leaves
These photos were taken May 7, 2008, Fletcher's - arboretum and May 10, 2008 Brown's Inlet.
Manitoba maple does not have maple-like leaves. It is also known as box elder.
Bark
Older trunks resemble an old elephant's wrinkled, lumpy skin. The bark of younger trees is pale, with vertical "striae" that can have
a yellowish cast.
Buds
Brown's Inlet. March 14, 2009.
Buds are thick, heavy, grey pussy-willow-like.
Flowers
April 24, 2009. Early stage of flowers.
April 26, 2008 Brown's Inlet at Broadway Avenue.
It seems to me that some Manitoba maple have flowers and some have none. Those without flowers appear
to be getting their leaves a little earlier.
April 29, 2009.
These maple are dioecious - they have only one sex per tree. At Brown's inlet, at Ralph, there are
examples of both. The female (seed) trees have a few remnant keys, and many remnant key stems,
arching like hair. The light grey buds are small. Other trees have no keys or key stems but have the
typical grey furry mouse buds.
Fruit (keys)
These photos were taken May 10 and June 21. When fully divided, the leaves don't look like maple.
These keys hand on long stems, are small and red at the start, and have a fairly narrow angle.
These previous-year's key-stems are easy to see on many but not all Manitoba maple in the
winter and early spring. Previous year's keys on the ground.
Photo taken Brown's inlet March 18, 2009
Notes
The first maple to flower in Ottawa seems to be silver maple. I believe red maple follows. Within a 10-14 day period in
2008, the Norway maple and Manitoba maple were flowering. I think the sugar maple flowers a little later.
Similar species
List of trees and shrubs with opposite, compound, toothed leaves