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This subspecies of the mono maple is said to grow only in Japan, and even there only in a small area. However, it came to Mustila from Sakhalin Island, where it also grows. It can be distinguished from mono maple by its rounded but almost always 5-lobed leaves, whereas the mono has 7 lobes. It is also easily confused with another close relative, the Cappadocian maple (A. cappadocicum), native to the mountainous parts of Caucasia. In the wild, A. pictum subsp. mayrii grows about 10-15m high in snowy mountain areas. Planted, it is a beautiful round-headed tree, flowering in spring on bare branches before leaf-break. The inflorescence resembles that of the Norway maple (A. platanoides), both in size and in its yellow-green colour. So far there has been little experience with growing this maple in Finland but hardy provenances are worth noting when the need is for the typically luxuriant and beautiful foliage of the Norway maple, but on a smaller tree. The leaves open bronze-red in spring, emphasising by their contrast the bright green of the flowers.
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