This maple is showing its attractive striated bark in the Autumn Garden.
The maple family (Aceraceae) contains 140 temperate and tropical genera including Acer, Aesculus, Litchi, Koelreuteria and Xanthoceras. The genus Acer (maple) occurs mainly in northern temperate zones, and comprises many ornamental species including the snakebark maples, which have attractive coloured bark with silvery markings. The green-tinted bark of ‘Silver Vein’ is punctuated with distinctive silver-grey streaks which run lengthwise along the trunk and stems, while the tri-lobed leaves take on rich yellow hues in autumn. ‘Silver Vein’ is a selection of a hybrid of A. davidii ‘George Forrest’ and A. pennsylvanicum ‘Erythrocladum’, was raised at Hilliers Nursery in 1961. Reaching 8m in height ‘Silver Vein’ is a valuable specimen tree for autumn, but it arguably provides greatest interest in winter when the bark can be best appreciated.