French maple

Blooms when the leaves are opening (late April); the flowers are in drooping, yellow-green corymbs. The fruits are most often a beautiful red color; the samaras grow parallel to each other or overlap. Prefers sunny or partially shaded sites with well-drained, calcareous soil. A small tree with a dense crown, or a vigorous shrub with a rounded crown (6-10 m in height, 4-8 m in width). Small, blunt, three-lobed leaves glossy dark green above, bluish-green underneath, turning bright yellow in autumn.