Maacki (Amur)

Amur Maacki, or Maacki amurense, is a handsome tree, though little known and used. The foliage emerges a unique, blue-green color and matures to a rich, dark green, the leaves each composed of five to seven leaflets 1 and 1/2 to 3 and 1/2 inches long. The spike-like clusters of white flowers blossom during midsummer when few other trees are blooming. Even the scaly bark is quite handsome, peeling into curls and flakes as the tree ages. Fall color is yellow-green. A tough tree, Amur Maaki takes compacted and dry soils in stride. Infertile soils are not a problem either, as this tree fixes atmospheric nitrogen. Matures at about 25'-40' high and 20'-30' wide.

Amur Maacki can be used as a small shade tree, a patio tree, a street tree, or for other specimen use. I would avoid placing it in groupings. Although an ornamental tree when used alone, blending it with other trees of the same size will result in its being lost in the crowd.

The Amur Maacki tree honors both its discoverer and its original habitat. Karlovich Maack, a 19th-century Siberian explorer, discovered this tree growing in the region of the Amur River, the border between China and Siberia. It was introduced into cultivation in 1864.