The Pacific Fire Vine Maple is a variant of our native Vine Maple, a tree you can find growing all over the Western Cascades. This cultivar looks pretty similar to its parent except for the fiery red color gracing its new-growth branches. The Vine Maple’s habit and leaf form are similar to the graceful Japanese Maple, but its overall look is more relaxed, sporting shrubby growth with multiple trunks. I debated buying the tried and true species for its more amenable light requirements, but opted for this fancy one instead. Fun fact – Pacific Fire is grown on Japanese maple root stock, though I still haven’t sussed out why that is.