[6] Acer lobelii is a medium-sized deciduous tree growing 20–25 metres (66–82 ft) tall with a narrow, erect crown.

[5][7][8][9] The species is rare and endangered in Italy, only occurring scattered in small groups in Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests habitats.

[10] It was widely considered endemic in southern Italy,[5][8][10] but is now also known in the western Balkans (former Yugoslavia),[4] a distribution fairly closely matched by Pinus heldreichii (Bosnian Pine).

The suggestion has been made that it could be a natural hybrid between them, but differences from both, notably the strongly glaucous bloom on the young shoots, make treatment as a distinct species more reasonable.

[5][8] Lobel's maple is grown as an ornamental tree in northern Europe, valued for its narrow crown which makes it suitable for planting in confined spaces.