Friends of Belfast Botanic Gardens

Tree of the month series - this series of short articles about trees in the Belfast Botanic Gardens is compiled by members of the Friends group and Gardens staff. We aim to build up to a comprehensive archive of trees in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Each article will illustrate a tree growing in Belfast Botanic Gardens together with information from a range of sources. Where possible we will give the tree tag number - these are the little aluminium discs, usually fixed 2 to 3m high on the tree trunk Click here to view the tree archive

Jon Pilcher

This very rare maple is another example of the genus in the maple collection in Belfast Botanic Gardens. It is a small, slow-growing tree from Northern China and Korea with distinctive leaves divided into three separate leaflets and pale grey-brown flaking bark. Like Acer maximowiczii which is close to it in the Botanic Gardens, it usually has spectacular autumn colour. The flowers are in threes, hence the species name. It was introduced in 1923, but rarely seen outside of arboreta and Botanic Gardens. Mature examples are in the Arnold Arboretum in Boston. RHS award of garden merit .The Belfast Botanic Gardens example is near the path from the Botanic School gate to the Palm House.

Acer triflorum in Belfast Botanic Gardens - autumn	Acer triflorum in Belfast Botanic Gardens - autumn
Acer triflorum - 3 leaflets on each leaf	Acer triflorum - rough flaking bark

Photos taken in 2010 in Belfast Botanic Gardens. Copyright Jon Pilcher