Dipteronia sinensis

Chinese Money Maple
Dipteronia sinensis
Type: Deciduous Tree
Exposure: Part or Light Shade
Water: Regular

This guy’s a bit of a rarity. Native to higher elevation woodlands of China, this small tree is on the IUCN’s (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list, which means that it’s in danger of becoming extinct. It will grow to about 30ft (9m) tall with equal spread, and features graceful, long (to 2ft or 60cm) leaves, which are divided into 7 to 11 toothed leaflets that are situated across from each other. The flowers are small,greenish-white and more or less inconspicuous, and arrive in late spring. In September, the seed pods form, putting on much more of a show than the flowers. They begin a brownish-red color, and then ripen to a translucent straw color. In fall, the leaves fade to a pale yellow before falling for the winter. It looks most at home in a woodland setting.

Photo Credits: 1st Photo: www.canadaplants.ca
4th Photo: www.biologie.uni-ulm.de

Cheers,

John