Carolina Nature

Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of North Carolina

Japanese Maackia (Maackia japonica)

Plantae>Magnoliophyta>Magnoliopsida>Fabales>Fabaceae>Maackia japonica Levings & Vincent

Japanese Maackia (Maackia japonica)

This small tree from Japan is rare in cultivation and an even rarer escape from cultivation. It is escaping from an old planting in the forest understory in a small area on the Duke University campus in Durham, North Carolina. The leaves may be slightly glaucous and bluish.

Durham, NC 5/9/07.

Japanese Maackia (Maackia japonica)

The alternate leaves have 9-11 leaflets.

Maackia japonica is a newly described species, split from Maackia amurensis (Amur Maackia) in the thesis by Levings (2006) linked below. "Maackia amurensis differs from M. japonica by pubescence characters; both the outermost bud scales of M. japonica are moderately to densely pubescent, while those of M. amurensis are glabrous or sparsely pubescent only at the tip; leaflets of M. japonica are moderately to densely pubescent over the entire abaxial surface, whereas those of M. amurensis are glabrous to sparsely pubescent only along the midrib. Maackia japonica fruits are less than 1 cm wide, while those of M. amurensis are 1 cm or more wide." (Levings 2006).

Durham, NC 5/9/07.

Japanese Maackia (Maackia japonica)

Young twigs and the leaf petioles and petiolules are densely white-hairy.

Durham, NC 5/9/07.

Japanese Maackia (Maackia japonica)

Bark of a sapling.

Durham, NC 5/9/07.

Japanese Maackia (Maackia japonica)

The golden-colored bark of a young tree. Bark of older trees exfoliates. Trees are reported to reach about 45 feet in the wild.

Durham, NC 5/9/07.

More information:
Levings, CK. 2006. A Monograph of the Genus Maackia. Master's Thesis, Miami University of Ohio, 127 pp.

Recommended Tree, Shrub, and Woody Vine Identification Guides