Acer opalus

Small tree or large shrub with a knobby trunk and an irregular rounded crown. The deciduous leaves are initially reddish, become dark green in the growing season, and turn orange and red in autumn, taking on a tri- and pentalobed shape. Yellow flowers appear before the leaves in corymbs, followed by winged fruits. Common in hill and mid-mountain forests, it tolerates warm climates and drought and prefers calcareous soils.