Quote from jimjsolo:

Actually the maple leaf raises a question I have about the maple trees in the Q. Mostly they seem more like bushes than trees. Is it just the limit of their range or are they different? I've seen very few at even a modest height.


Been to woodland caribou but not the quetico....the pict is definitely Acer rubrum....red maple....is at northern end of range there is also Acer spicatum-mountain maple-similar leaf -if I had a scanner I would plagerize and send copy of leaves from Dirr's Woody Plant manual. Google. Both are going to be smaller statued trees unlesss they are in a very happy spot....Mountain maple I have expereinced on the north shoreof lake superior is typically growing in a clump of sorts like Amur Maple,, Acer ginnala- a non native asian landscape plant, and is considered more of a sub tree or understory tree. Red Maple is a a very popular ;D shade tree in the US due to the fall color , like in starwatchers pict everyone digs red. Personally I have yet to see a high quality selection of red maple but that is another topic...I believe the are better left to the north woods than the city, I have to admitt been enjoying the beautiful flowers again this spring-for that is how the tree,I believe, got its name-Acer rubrum.....red maple. They also prefer lower areas as the like water-very closely allied to silver maple-Acer saccharinum-which is the common riparian tree-there are actually hybrids between the two...the grex is known as Acer freemanii.....So that is the scoop.....northern edge of range, dry conditions .....a young stresssed out tree that is also most  likily why stargazer got that shot of the amazingly saturated fall colored leaf.....right place right time!  Good shots stargazer ;)