I was in a residential neighborhood of the Twin Cities last week and ran across a large and impressive Acer platanoides 'Deborah'. I am not recommending planting one, but they can be an impressive tree.

My JM ‘Bloodgood’ had these tiny flowers, too, and they looked really cute. The orange thing on the upper right corner of the picture was my finger holding onto the slender branch, so I could take a proper picture in the wind.

Incidentally, many acer species and cultivars are listed under the “Flowering Shrubs” category at one of my local nurseries. I used to think it was a mistake, but now I know why.

maackia which hybrid is that?

My straight species has bright green foliage with the reddish flowers

'North Wind'. I planted it this past weekend. I'm on the road tonight and the weather over the past 24 hours has been turbulent to say the least. Hopefully I don't get back tomorrow and find it laying on the ground.

i believe this to be the true 'viridis' which, according to modern sources, is a cultivar name which has been mislabeled and applied to almost any green disectum and should not be used any more. i planted it in 1994, purchased from a local nursery. always enjoy the color combination, esp. as the evening sun shines through the foliage.

j.d. vertrees' book of japanese maples describes the colors on the unfolding leaves of 'higasa yama' as "equals the blossoming effect of some shrubs". i lost this one during a drought several years ago.

Thought you were going to say 'mosquitoes'.

Red and silver maples are interesting here when in flower, but that was about 3 months ago. My JM isn't large enough to produce flowers quite yet.

'Higasa yama' is spectacular. There' about zero chance it could survive our winters, but this 'Viridis' has been hangin' around for five years. I know, it's marginal, but it provides some interest.

Are Asian maples generally considered to have more ornamental flowers than those from North America?

I couldn't get a picture with clarity, but this is A. pensylvanicum.

I always preferred those hanging spikes of flowers that some species of maple have, even if they aren't in fancy colors

I was just thinking before scrolling down that moosewood maple has handsome hanging flower clusters, and there maackia posted some. European sycamore maple has handsome, upright flower spikes.

The sycamore maple has hanging clusters, much like the moosewood maple. Acer spicatum has standing spikes, I believe

In my opinion the Maple is the most under appreciate tree in the tree world. In late winter, they flower and are as pretty as the redbuds, cherry, peach and similar trees that people gush over.

I think the problem is that when the Maples are in bloom it is too cold to go out and look at them, and therefore they go unnoticed.

"Incidentally, many acer species and cultivars are listed under the “Flowering Shrubs” category at one of my local nurseries."

I need to visit that nursery! Actually, I've never been to Toronto. Is it a botanically rich city? I'm guessing it is.

"I think the problem is that when the Maples are in bloom it is too cold to go out and look at them, and therefore they go unnoticed."

Good point. The A. pensylvanicum is about six weeks later than rubrum.

Went up to the blue ridge parkway today. Saw lots of acer pennsylvanicum. There were a few with faded flowers (I believe that is in zone 6a/5b).

This is the first time I have seen Acer Pennsylvanicum in person. The leaf size surprised me, as well as the beauty of the striped bark, which I couldn't get a good photo of.

Sycamore Maple flowers