Acer circinatum

Vine maple is in the soapberry or Sapindaceae family and is a species of maple native to western North America, from southwest British Columbia to northern California. It belongs to the palmatum group of maples mostly native to East Asia, such as the many varieties of fullmoon maple (A. japonicum) in Japan.

Vine maple is the only member of the group to originate outside of Asia and is a close relative of the Japanese fullmoon maples.

• Terminal buds are lacking on shoots, so branching is mostly lateral, with the trees not growing very tall, so height is generally less than 8 m tall.
• Leaves are opposite, simple and palmate with 7 to 9 lobes forming a close to circular shape.
• Flowers are 6-9 mm in diameter, with a dark red calyx and five short greenish-yellow petals; they are produced in open clusters in spring.
• Winged seeds form a double samara at close to a 180° angle, initially green but turning red in the late summer; total length is up to 8 cm.