23. Botanics Paperbark
An eye catching paperbark maple in Edinburgh’s Botanic Gardens is a tonic regardless of the season
To select a representative tree from the Botanics is difficult. As well as being one of the finest aboreta in the world, stuffed to the gills with remarkable trees, it is one of Edinburgh’s most cherished green spaces and is freely accessible to all. A beautiful tree that catches the attention of many is the small but perfectly formed paperbark maple in front of the palm house.
Species details
Paperbark Maple
Acer griseum
Where to find it
Royal Botanic Gardens, Arboretum Place, Edinburgh EH3 5NZ
///pitch.lease.pest | 55.966810, -3.2088880
Paperbark maple notes
There is much to admire in a paperbark maple. The bark for which it is named is spectacular: glossy and deep cinnamon brown, it peels delicately as if it were some kind of fine paper. Come summer and the branches hold aloft a canopy of un-maple like leaves. They are trifoliolate, a term describing individual leaves composed of three leaflets, each with distinctive blunt teeth, and they are a singular deep green. The register of greens that plants exhibit never ceases to surprise, and enhanced by subtle variations in shape, texture and size, could it be that there are more greens in the world than any other colour that humans have named?
Urban Tree Festival
Welcome to those who have signed up for Daily Urban Tree posts during the Urban Tree Festival between 13-21 May. Before the festival, and after, I will be posting regular accounts of great British and Irish urban trees, just not one everyday!