Common Name: Rock Maple

General Information

Acer glabrum is a small shrub or a tree, occasionally reaching a height of 9 metres but often no more than 1 - 2 metres. The short bole is 15 - 30cm in diameter[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

, ,

Range

Western N. America - Alaska to California, east to New Mexico

Habitat

Edges of mountain streams, on rocks and in coniferous woods, 1,500 - 2,000 metres[, ].

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Shrub
Height	3.00 m
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Acer glabrum is a very cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -25°c when dormant[, ].
Of easy cultivation, it succeeds in any soil, preferring a good moist well-drained soil[]. Prefers a sunny position but tolerates some shade[, ]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Chlorosis can sometimes develop as a result of iron deficiency when the plants are grown in alkaline soils, but in general maples are not fussy as to soil pH.
This species grows well at Kew, a specimen was 12 metres tall in 1967[].
The tree is almost fastigiate[].
Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[, ].
Trees are usually dioecious. Both male and female forms must be grown if seed is required[].

Edible Uses

Edible young shoots - cooked. They are used like asparagus[]. The seedlings, gathered in early spring, are eaten fresh or can be dried for later use[].

The dried crushed leaves have been used as a spice[].

Seeds - cooked. The wings are removed and the seeds boiled then eaten hot[]. The seeds are about 6mm long[].

Inner bark[]. No more details are given but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread. An emergency food, it is usually only used when all else fails[].

Medicinal

A decoction of the wood and bark is said to cure nausea[]. Another report says that this is specifically the nausea caused by smelling a corpse[].
An infusion of the bark has been used as a cathartic[].

A decoction of the branches, together with the branches of Amelanchier sp., was used to heal a woman's insides after childbirth and also to promote lactation[].

Other Uses

We have two reports that the leaves of maple species, when laid in layers between crops such as apples, carrots and potatoes, have a preservative effect[, ]. The reports do not name any specific species[].

A fibre obtained from the inner bark is used for making mats, rope etc[, ].

The bark has been used to make spoons, paint containers etc[].

Wood - tough, hard, heavy, close grained, pliable[, ]. It weighs 37lb per cubic foot[]. The wood can also be used as friction sticks[]. The green wood can be moulded.[] The wood is too small for commercial exploitation[, ]. It was often used by native North American Indian tribes for making small items such as snowshoes, drum hoops, bows and pegs[].
The wood makes a good fuel[, ].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it usually germinates in the following spring. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. The seed has a hard coat and can be slow to germinate, often taking 2 years. The seed can be harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has dried and produced any germination inhibitors) and sown immediately. It should germinate in late winter. If the seed is harvested too soon it will produce very weak plants or no plants at all[, ]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions.
Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus.
Cuttings of young shoots in early summer . The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter. It is very difficult to find suitable wood for cuttings.