Trident Maple

Trident maple is the small street tree with the three-lobed leaves that do not look quite like any other maple in the neighborhood. Each leaf has three distinct, forward-pointing lobes, the shape that gives the species its common name, and the whole tree stays compact enough for tight planting strips and patios. The bark on older specimens is one of its best features: gray-brown exfoliating to reveal orange undertones, scaling off in irregular plates that catch afternoon light. Native to eastern China and Korea, trident maple has been gaining ground in Western Washington municipal plantings as cities look for trees that tolerate urban stress without outgrowing their sites.

What makes trident maple worth tracking in this region is the fall color. In a good year, it turns orange, red, and yellow with the kind of range you usually associate with eastern hardwoods. It takes full sun and tolerates the compacted, alkaline soils that define urban planting sites. Two cultivars show up in the trade: 'Streetwise' is the one selected for street tree form, and 'Miyasama Yatsubusa' is a dwarf selection for containers and small gardens. With nineteen documented diseases and fifteen pests on the genus-level susceptibility list, trident maple carries real risk from Verticillium wilt in particular, Verticillium persists in soil where susceptible species have died. But in a clean site with good drainage, this is one of the more problem-free small maples available.