I'm curious what kind of tree this is by our sidewalk.. The builder planted it but it's just outside our house and I'd love to know what it is so I can see what it will grow to look like! I'm sure it's something very common, I'm just a newbie
Looks like a mountain maple, Acer spicatum. I have noticed that from the one I grew up with and the one we have in our back yard that the lower limbs have a tendency to be a nuisance. They rarely fall off or die so that they get in the way as one tries to walk around the tree. I see that the depicted tree also has a low growing limb. It will remain a nuisance as long as it stays attached. Jerry
Hi Paige. Jerry may well be right, but I suggest posting your location when asking for tree ID. There are often different species of a genus that grow in different locations.
Hmmmm.. The bark does look like it would peal off like a sycamore. A look at the samara if any, would be nice. Perhaps there are some on the ground? Jerry
A samara is the winged fruit of a tree also called an achene. As kids we would throw them up into the air and watch them travel to the ground like a helicopter. Jerry
As requested, here is a picture of the leaf shape: And I learned what a samara is!! Cool. There were a few of these scattered around the grass in the general area of the tree.
O.K.!! Now you can eliminate American Sycamore(Platanus occidentalis) and Mountain Maple(Acer spicatum). A red maple(Acer rubrum) seems to fit the bill. The bark is of a young tree, as it matures it will change. Thanks for the leaf and samara. Jerry
