Acer circinatum aka Vine Maple

Acer circinatum, also known as the vine maple, is a deciduous plant that is native to western North America. It can grow as a multi-stemmed shrub or a small tree, reaching heights of up to 12 meters. The plant is known to form dense thickets due to its ability to vegetatively reproduce and form new plants from branches that touch the soil. Vine maple rarely reproduces by seeds. The leaves of the vine maple are opposing and have petioles that are 2.5 to 3.5 cm long. The leaf blade is simple, palmate, with 7 to 9 lobes, and slightly cordate at the base. The edges of the leaves are unevenly two-serrate, and the underside of the leaves is pubescent along the entire plane. The vine maple blooms in April-May, producing from 6 to 10 flowers in bare inflorescences, occasionally up to 20 flowers. The sepals are purple or red, and the white petals are smaller than the sepals, measuring 0.6 to 1.2 cm wide. In open, sunny places, the vine maple grows upright, but in the shade of other trees, it leans to the ground. Its thin branches have a smooth light greenish to reddish bark, often whitish and slightly sticky, which later turns brown. The autumn color of leaves in sunny places ranges from golden yellow to bright carmine red. The vine maple bears fruits that resemble paired lionfish and ripen in autumn. The wings of the fruit are interconnected at an angle of about 180 °, and the winglet, together with the nut, is about 2 cm long. At first, the green fruits turn reddish-brown in autumn and are spread by the wind. Seeds germinate in spring. Vine Maple is a rare houseplant that requires regular watering to thrive. It performs best in long-lasting, direct light and should be positioned less than 1 foot from a window. Vine Maple prefers soil that retains moisture well and does not require added fertilizers if repotted each time it doubles in size. As a member of the Acer genus, the vine maple is an important plant species native to Western North America.