Amur Maple (Acer ginnala)

NPS Photo/Creative Commons

Amur Maple (Acer ginnala) is a tough little tree can be very colorful in the fall, gold to orange to red. They also have samaras, winged seeds that flutter to the ground. They are sometimes called wingnuts or whirlybirds. The three-lobed leaves completely drop off in the winter, returning brightly green in the spring. These trees can be invasive in some parts of the country. Amur maple a native of central and northern China and Japan. It was introduced to North America in the 1860s.