Spring Red Leaves Part 2: The Fiery Scarlet of Purple-Leaf Maple at Mt. Taiping

By the MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team

 

Every spring, as the season arrives, the lush green forests of Mt. Taiping National Forest Recreation Area gradually sprout new buds, while numerous wildflowers and grasses wait to bloom. During this time, the maple-like leaves of the purple-leaf maple, which shed in winter, regrow in early spring, displaying a deep purple-red hue that allows visitors to enjoy a unique maple-viewing experience in springtime Mt. Taiping, taking in the exotic scenery.

The purple-leaf maples at Mt. Taiping are mainly located on both sides of the central staircase. Under the penetration of sunlight, their leaves glow a fiery red, vivid as a painting, becoming the most eye-catching scenery. Therefore, it is recommended that visitors walk up along the staircase, as if strolling beneath a tunnel of red leaves, then slowly make their way to the pristine forest of Mt. Taiping, immersing themselves in the refreshing atmosphere of the cypress forest.

 

The purple-leaf maple’s red foliage can be enjoyed starting from April. Here, you don’t have to wait until autumn for the leaves to change color. Instead, after shedding in autumn and winter, the leaves regrow in early spring of the following year, beginning as deep purple and maintaining that color until around October, when they shed once again.

 

The leaves of the purple-leaf maple are actually very similar to the more commonly known maple leaves, except they have more deeply lobed edges and serrated leaf margins, which often leads to them being mistaken for one another. While typical maple trees only begin to change color as temperatures cool in autumn, purple-leaf maples display a deep purple hue from the moment their new leaves emerge.

 

 

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