Acer leucoderme

Common Names

Chalk Maple, Whitebark Maple, Chalkbark Maple, Whitebarked Maple

Summary

Chalk maple, Acer leucoderme, is a native Southeastern U.S. small to medium deciduous tree, typically 25–30 ft tall with a 15–30 ft spread, often multi-trunked with chalk-white to light-gray bark that becomes ridged with age. It features palmately lobed leaves with 3–5 lobes and a yellow-green, softly pubescent underside, offering a brilliant fall display in colors from yellow to orange and red; the crown is oval, dense, and slow-growing, and it commonly grows as an understory tree along streams, ravines, and woodlands. Flowers are yellow-green and inconspicuous.

Sources indicate cultivation in full sun to partial shade in moist, well-drained soils that range from clay to sand and tolerate slightly acidic to alkaline conditions; hardy in USDA zones 5b through 9b; drought- and shade-tolerant, with generally pest-free performance though Verticillium wilt can occur. It is well-suited as a specimen or in large plantings such as parking-lot islands, wide or medium tree lawns, buffer strips, or near decks; pruning can develop a strong structure; propagation is by seed.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

300-360 inches

Spread

15-30 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 5-8

Sunlight Requirements

Full Sun to Full Shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained soil

Soil Drainage

Well-drained soil

Soil pH

Slightly alkaline

Bloom Color

Insignificant

Bloom Time

Spring

Foliage Color

Dark green upper surface with a yellow-green underside.

Fall Foliage Color

Yellow, orange, and red

Leaf Lifecycle

Deciduous

Growth Rate

12-18 inches per year, slow-growing

Seasons of Interest

Fall and Winter

Propagation Methods

Seeds

Attracts Wildlife

Bees, butterflies and other pollinators, Birds