THE JAPANESE MAPLE COLLECTION AT SFA GARDENS^©

The generally accepted origin of all maples is central China, primarily in Hubei, Sichuan, and Yunnan provinces (Gelderen, 1994). Over 100 million years ago, the family Sapindaceae (syn. Aceraceae) radiated from there, moving westward, southward, and to the northeast, the latter trek taking maples into eastern Siberia and ultimately into North America. Most abundant during the Miocene from 25 to 5 million years before present, the range of maples was greatly reduced into the present day temperate regions with the ice age which began about 5 million years ago. While there are a few tropical maples, most of the 150 species today can be found in temperate regions. Rarely abundant, the species is often sympatric — that is, several maple species often reside in the same habitat without crossing. That paints the picture that leads our discussion to one maple species, a group we call the Japanese maples.