Deciduous tree/shrub, 10-20 ft (3-6 m) high, multi-stemmed, rounded but variable, open. Leaves opposite, simple, 2.5-7.5 cm long, 3-lobed, relatively long central lobe. Fruit (samaras) hang on late into fall, wings nearly parallel.
Sun to part shade, very adaptable, very hardy (popular in East and Midwest), performs best in well-drained soil. Relatively free of disease and pest problems.
Hardy to USDA Zone 2 Native to Central and northern China, Manchuria and Japan. Now considered to be a subspecies of Acer tataricum (Tatarian Maple), leaves of adult trees of this species are unlobed, whereas leaves of young trees or vigorous shoots may be 3 to 5-lobed, resembling those of A. ginnala.
Several cultivars, including:

‘Embers’ - red fruit and red fall color
‘Flame’ - fast growing, long arching branches, fall color orange-red to deep red
'Emerald Elf' - dwarf form

Ginnala : the native name, or possibly from the Greek ginnos, a small mule, referring to its size and hardiness.

Information obtained from: OSU http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/