This is supposed to be the rarest maple in the wild coming from a very small area in China and only collected and then raised in the west a couple of times so that all cultivated plants come from much the same original material.
Apart from rarity why grow it? Certainly it has proved to be a hardy wind and sun tolerant Maple in South Eastern Australia growing quite quickly to a small vase shaped tree to 5metres or so. The bambooesque foliage is light and airy making it a good overstory small tree for woodland style plants and its foliage comes out quite late in spring so that its companions can get the early spring sun and it doesn’t cut the light down on houses etc. until the weather is properly warming up.
Some people have described the leaves as like those of a certain smokable drug although I think it is only thought to be by those that have never seen the real thing. I have young seedlings in 6″ pots for $18.50 why not plant a copse!
