Gary W. Graham, Ohio State University Extension, Northeast District; James A. Chatfield, Ohio State University Extension, Northeast District and Department of Horticulture and Crop Science; Kenneth D. Cochran, Secrest Arboretum of The Ohio State University Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Wooster, Ohio.
Acer rufinerve. Redvein maple.
This is a small (20 to 25 foot) Asian snakebark maple with good yellow to orange-red fall color, lustrous green young stems with defined white striations, and prominent red spatulate bud scales that make for a great plant ID feature.
Leaves are triangular in shape with the center lobe longer and about four to six inches long and as wide. The upper leaf surface is deep green, but the lower is much lighter and with a reddish pubescence along the veins, as suggested by its common name. This tree is tolerant of most soils and is typically grown in partial shade.
Look for redvein maple in the mixed maple grove near the southern terminus of Green Road in the Arboretum. There are two nice specimens along the John Ford Azalea Allee.