Acer truncatum

 

I did not plant the Acer truncatum (Shantung maple) in my yard. It came with the house and it took me a while to figure out what kind of maple it was. It turns out to be not a bad choice. Most years, it turns a bright yellow, and this year there are some orange touches. There are a couple of varieties sold that are bright red. Sometimes sold as a Japanese maple, the Shantung maple comes primarily from China. It is much more heat and wind tolerant than the Japanese maple, much less graceful, and with only a few forms available. It seems to be at least as and possibly more tolerant of the Albuquerque soils and climate than the native New Mexican maples which come from the cooler high moist mountain.