I don't have an Acer griseum in my yard yet, but next spring I will as I've been preparing an areain my yard for several small maples. It is a gorgeous tree with beautiful exfoliating bark, nice tri-lobed small leaves, and doesn't get too big (from what I recall it gets 25-30 feet tall and 15-20 feet wide.). In zone 5 you should have no problems with hardiness issues either. It can be a little pricey because it's hard to propagate. In all the references I've seen (e.g. Dirr's "Hardy trees")it gets rave reviews. I'm unaware of any problems with the tree.

Neil

Thanks Neil. I too have read many rave reviews on it. However, I haven't found any pictures that do it justice I guess. My husband thought it looked kind of "dull" (he wants something more ornamental) in the picture I showed him and I haven't seen any in real life since I've been looking.

I think the best picture I've seen is in Dirr's book, which your local library may have. (My library has a copy, which I occasionally allow them to have back in between bouts of my drooling over various trees.) If your husband doesn't like that particular specimen you may not be able to persuade him to plant this tree. Maybe, it's the foliage he doesn't like? If that's so perhaps a large Acer palmatum or Acer japonicum would work or maybe an Acer pseudosieboldianum? Gorgeous trees, but you'll have to pay more attention to siting and hardiness issues.

This tree is stunning. The bark is gorgeous and the fall colors usually outstanding. It is slow growing, but hardy. I planted a 5 year tree last year, and it will take time to reach stature. It is over 6' tall, but already shows the charateristic exfoliating bark. Usually larger trees are available, but here, only single standard trees, and I wanted one that I could train to multiple trunks to show off the bark. I love the maples with showy bark, like triflorum, capillipes, griseum, etc. I have seen mature specimens of griseum that are breathtaking. It is a very special tree. I also like the japonicums. None are dull, believe me!

What only one, sooner rather than later if you want it to survive the winter, You will only be sorry you waited and only bought one.

The rarer yet related Acer mandshuricum (Manchurian maple) is also very beautiful.

So you order Acer griseum, mandshuricum, and triflorum. You won't be disappointed.

I picked up 4 paperbark maples over the summer and just kept finding places to put them. Unfortunately they only average out to around 4 feet tall.I hope that I live long enough to see them in full glory.Some of the bark is peeling nicely and the leaves are fairly dark green and bushy. So far so good I guess.

Just a cautionary note, rabbits will eat the small branches . Last year they ate them above 4' because of the snow drifts. Surround them with a light wire if necessary, presumably before it snows.

Ron

Thanks for the heads up Ron. Fortunatly I put some wire cages around mine. The rabbits,deer and everything else are eating everthing within reach.