Mountain maple, white maple

This small understory tree grows 3 to 8 m tall. Its short trunk is crooked and twisted. Its bark is thin, dull, reddish to greyish-brown, smooth or slightly grooved. Its slender twigs are yellowish-green to reddish-brown or pink. The young twigs are coated with grey hairs, giving them a velvety look. The lower branches may take root in leaf litter. The opposite leaves are slightly longer than they are wide and are wrinkled and dull looking. They are usually divided into 3 to 5 coarsely and irregularly toothed lobes. They are yellowish-green above and paler beneath, with downy white hairs. The greenish-yellow flowers are arranged in clusters at the tip of the stems. The fruit is a pair of winged keys that meet at about 90°. Each key is 1 to 2 cm long and the keys are arranged in erect clusters. In fall, the fruit is often bright red, later turning yellow or pinkish-brown.