Miyabe Maple (Acer miyabei)
The Miyabe Maple is a medium sized tree typically growing to 30 to 60 feet high and 30 to 35 feet wide. It was brought to this country in the nineteenth century by Professor C.S. Sargent of the Arnold Arboretum. He discovered it by accident while waiting for a train in Yezo, Japan. Professor Sargent strayed from the Yezzo station into a nearby grove of trees bordering a stream. There he found Acer miyabei in fruit and obtained some of the small samurai shaped seeds. This eventually led to the commercial introduction of Miyabe Maple in the U.S. by 1892.
Miyabe Maple is a beautiful uniform growing tree. It is more densely branched than most maples, making it an excellent shade tree. The tree’s inherent attractive rough bark, characteristic even at smaller trunk diameters, helps protect the tree from lawn mower and string trimmer injuries when planted in lawn locations. The satin-surfaced medium to dark green leaves are attractive all during the growing season, then changing in fall to a pale golden hue.
This tree species has exceptional tolerance to urban pollution, heat, cold, acidic or alkaline soils and is fairly drought tolerant once established. It has high salt tolerance, and is hardy to U.S.D.A Climate Zone 4 (-30F).
Miyabe Maple is also not bothered by any serious disease or insect pests. A superior genotype named ‘State Street’ has been introduced by the Morton Arboretum of Lisle, Illinois, and is becoming widely available in the nursery trades.
With all these attributes going for it, Miyabe Maple is definitely an additional candidate species for inclusion in our “diversified urban tree species list” and highly recommended for planting.
Harold Hoover, Board Certified Master Arborist IL-1478B
Kramer Tree Specialists, Inc.