''Acer tschonoskii'' (in Japanese ''ミネカエデ'', ''Mine-kaede'', literally "''ridge maple''"), the butterfly maple or Tschonoski's maple, is a species of shrub or small tree native to Japan and the

Kuril Islands The Kuril Islands or Kurile Islands (; rus, Кури́льские острова́, r=Kuril'skiye ostrova, p=kʊˈrʲilʲskʲɪjə ɐstrɐˈva; Japanese: or ) are a volcanic archipelago currently administered as part of Sakhalin Oblast in the ...

. It is one of the least invasive, easiest to grow, and hardiest species of

maple ''Acer'' () is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the family Sapindaceae.Stevens, P. F. (2001 onwards). Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. Version 9, June 2008 nd more or less continuously updated since http ...

s, but remains rarely used in gardens. ''A''. ''tschonoskii'' naturally grows in subalpine habitats, at elevations between . ''A''. ''tschonoskii'' var. ''australe'', (in Japanese ナンゴク''ミネカエデ'', ''Nangoku-mine-kaede'', literally "''southern Tschonoski's maple"''), a

variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

of ''A''. ''tschonoskii'', is distributed from

Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectur ...

southward to

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

and

Kyushu is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surroun ...

References

tschonoskii Plants described in 1886 {{Sapindales-stub