Amur Maple
Scientific name: Acer ginnala
Overview
Amur Maple is a small deciduous hardwood tree or large multi-stemmed shrub in the Sapindaceae family, native to northeastern Asia. Acer ginnala occurs naturally across portions of northeastern China, Korea, Mongolia, and the Russian Far East. It has also been widely planted outside its native range as an ornamental because of its cold tolerance, compact size, and brilliant red to orange autumn foliage.
The wood is generally pale cream to light yellowish brown, sometimes developing warmer tan, pinkish, or light reddish-brown tones. Grain is usually straight but can become irregular around branches and the multiple stems frequently produced by the species. Texture is fine and relatively even, giving the wood the smooth surface characteristics associated with many maples.
Amur Maple is not an important commercial timber because trees usually remain relatively small. Most woodworking material comes from landscape removals, pruning, storm damage, or other salvaged sources. The wood can nevertheless be useful for turning, carving, handles, small boxes, decorative objects, and collector specimens.
Quick Facts
- Common Name: Amur Maple
- Alternate Common Name(s): Siberian Maple
- Scientific Name: Acer ginnala
- Region: Asian Hardwoods
- Tree Size: Approximately 15–30 ft (5–9 m) tall, occasionally larger
- Average Dried Weight: Reliable standardized species-specific value not widely documented
- Janka Hardness: Reliable standardized species-specific value not widely documented
- Grain: Generally straight to irregular
- Texture: Fine and even
Identification Characteristics
Amur Maple generally produces pale cream, yellowish-brown, or light tan wood. Central wood from older stems may develop somewhat darker brown, pinkish, or reddish coloration, although dramatic heartwood and sapwood differentiation is not normally its most prominent feature.
Grain is generally straight in clear sections but can become irregular around branches, crotches, and areas where multiple stems develop. Its fine, relatively even texture can produce very smooth surfaces when properly machined and sanded.
Key identification traits include:
- Pale cream to light yellowish-brown wood
- Occasional tan or light reddish-brown tones
- Generally modest heartwood and sapwood contrast
- Usually straight grain
- Irregular grain around branches and crotches
- Fine and even texture
- Smooth finished surfaces
Working Properties
Amur Maple can generally be worked using conventional woodworking tools. Its relatively fine grain allows small pieces to be shaped precisely, making salvaged material particularly suitable for turning, carving, and other detailed work.
Irregular grain around branch intersections and multi-stem junctions can require additional care. Sharp tools and light cutting passes can reduce tear-out while preserving naturally figured sections.
- Machines reasonably well
- Responds well to sharp cutting tools
- Suitable for detailed carving
- Suitable for wood turning
- Sands to a smooth surface
- Irregular grain may cause localized tear-out
- Accepts finishes well
Safety Note
Detailed toxicity and allergy information specifically associated with Amur Maple wood dust is limited. As with other hardwoods, dust generated during cutting, routing, turning, and sanding can irritate the eyes, skin, and respiratory system.
Appropriate dust collection, eye protection, and respiratory protection are recommended during woodworking operations.
Common Uses
Amur Maple is primarily an ornamental and landscape tree rather than a commercial timber species. When salvaged wood becomes available, its fine texture and manageable working characteristics make it useful for numerous small-scale woodworking applications, including:
- Wood turning
- Carving
- Small bowls
- Decorative boxes
- Handles
- Pens
- Craft projects
- Small furniture components
- Decorative objects
- Wood collections
Sustainability & Notes
Amur Maple is widely cultivated because of its cold tolerance, manageable size, and attractive autumn foliage. Woodworking material outside its native range is therefore most likely to come from urban or landscape tree removal rather than commercial forest harvesting.
The species has escaped cultivation in portions of North America and can behave invasively in some environments. Dense populations can compete with native vegetation, making local removal and subsequent use of the wood a potential source of salvage material.
From a woodworking and collecting perspective, salvaging removed Amur Maple can turn an otherwise discarded landscape tree into useful material without creating additional demand for forest harvesting.
Comparative Notes & Related Species
Japanese Maple – Another small Asian maple primarily known as an ornamental tree. Both species provide useful examples of maples whose wood is generally obtained through salvage rather than commercial timber harvesting.
Rocky Mountain Maple – A relatively small North American maple whose limited dimensions similarly favor specialty woodworking, turning, carving, and collector specimens.
Vine Maple – A small western North American maple often producing irregular stems and figured material, making it useful for comparison with the small-scale woodworking potential of Amur Maple.
Related Guides
Maple Species Guide
Explore maple species from around the world and compare Amur Maple with Japanese Maple, Sugar Maple, Black Maple, Vine Maple, Rocky Mountain Maple, and other members of the genus.
Maple vs. Oak
Compare two important hardwood groups based on grain, appearance, hardness, woodworking characteristics, applications, and other properties.
Best Woods for Wood Turning
Explore woods used for bowls, handles, pens, vessels, and decorative turning based on grain, hardness, stability, figure, and workability.
Understanding Chatoyance in Wood
Learn how grain orientation and reflected light can create shifting visual effects in figured woods, including some maple specimens.
How to Identify Exotic Hardwood by Grain Pattern
Learn how grain structure, texture, figure, pores, and other visual characteristics can help distinguish wood species.
Compare Wood Properties
See how this species ranks in density and hardness using our Wood Density & Janka Hardness Chart. You can also explore Hardest Woods, Softest Woods, and Most Dense Woods for quick comparisons.
Collector Notes
Amur Maple makes an excellent addition to a comprehensive maple collection because it represents the smaller ornamental members of the Acer genus rather than the large commercial timber maples.
Displaying Amur Maple alongside Japanese Maple, Sugar Maple, Black Maple, Vine Maple, Rocky Mountain Maple, Striped Maple, and Mountain Maple can demonstrate the enormous variation in tree size, geographic distribution, growth form, and commercial importance within Acer.
Collector specimens obtained from landscape removals should retain the geographic location and acquisition information whenever possible. Material from the species’ native Asian range is particularly useful when its provenance can be documented.
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Wood Sample Collection
This species is part of an ongoing effort to document and preserve wood samples from around the world.
Learn more about contributing to the collection:
Resources
Authoritative botanical and forestry references used in compiling information about this species include:
• USDA Forest Service – Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material
https://www.fpl.fs.usda.gov/products/publications/
• The Wood Database – Global reference for wood identification, physical properties, and woodworking characteristics
https://www.wood-database.com/
• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew – Plants of the World Online – Botanical taxonomy and species distribution database
https://powo.science.kew.org/
• International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN Red List) – Global conservation status assessments
https://www.iucnredlist.org/
• Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) – International trade regulations for protected plant species
https://cites.org/
Additional forestry publications, academic research papers, and regional timber studies may also be referenced where available.
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Availability & Where to Buy
Exotic hardwood availability can vary significantly depending on region, sustainability regulations, and supplier inventory.
As this archive grows, recommended suppliers and specialty wood retailers will be listed here to help woodworkers locate responsibly sourced material.
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