Northeastern Asia
"Amur maple likely threatens forest regeneration by suppressing native woody seedling recruitment and the persistence of native herbaceous communities. Both native and exotic species were uncommon under Amur maple canopies, but Amur maple seedlings were common, and reached up to 75% ground cover in some stands." [3]
"In Northeast Asia, Acer species have been used in pharmaceutical preparations such as decoctions or teas to lower fever, improve eyesight, and protect the liver. In addition, Acer species have been used by the native population of eastern Canada as traditional remedies for treating coughs and eye pain." [2]
"[Its] autumnal colors have made it a desirable ornamental species since its introduction to North America, and its ability to form dense stands also makes Amur maple well suited for use in hedging. The United States Forest Service has commended Amur maple on these ‘‘outstanding features’’ and encouraged widespread planting of the tree in both rural and urban settings." [3]
In 1922, an investigation of the tree reported "As a rule, the [leaves] are plucked during mid autumn, about 1 lb. being yielded by each plant, and in the dried condition, admixed with the small twigs, they are exported to China. In that country they are employed extensively for the black dyeing of cotton, natural copperas affording the mordant, and in 1917 the amount sent there, according to the Custom House authorities, was about two million kin, equivalent to 2,660,000 English pounds. The price averaged three yen, or six shillings per 100 lb." [1]
[1] Perkin, A. G., & Uyeda, Y. (1922). XIII.—Occurrence of a crystalline tannin in the leaves of the Acer ginnala. Journal of the Chemical Society, Transactions, 121, 66-76.
[2] Park, K. H., Yoon, K. H., Yin, J., Le, T. T., Ahn, H. S., Yoon, S. H., & Lee, M. W. (2017). Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities of galloyl derivatives and antidiabetic activities of Acer ginnala. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2017.
[3] Schuster, M. J., & Reich, P. B. (2018). Amur maple (Acer ginnala): an emerging invasive plant in North America. Biological Invasions, 20(10), 2997-3007.
