Practical
Plants

Acer macrophyllum

Oregon Maple

a perennial woody deciduous member of the Acer genus in the family Aceraceae.

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Taxonomy and growth

Family
Aceraceae
Genus
Acer
Life cycle
perennial
Foliage
deciduous
Woodiness
woody
Growth rate
vigorous
Height
30 m
Spread
12 m
Fertility
Insects
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Insects

Uses

Edible uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The sap contains a certain amount of sugar and can either be used as a drink, or can be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water[2][6][8]. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. The concentration of sugar is somewhat lower than in the sugar maples (A. saccharum). The tree trunk is tapped in the early spring, the sap flowing better on warm sunny days following a frost. The best sap production comes from cold-winter areas with continental climates. Inner bark[6]. Eaten in small quantities with oil[13]. No more details are given but inner bark is often dried, ground into a powder and then used as a thickening in soups etc or mixed with cereals when making bread. The leaves, when wrapped round food during baking, impart a nice flavour to the food[18][5]. Yellow flower clusters - raw. They are sweet with nectar[8]. Seeds - sprouted and then boiled[11]. The sprouted seeds are generally bitter, but the young shoots are quite sweet and juicy[13]. The seeds are about 6mm long and are produced in small clusters[17].

Plant part
Flowers
Plant part
Inner bark
Plant part
Leaves
Plant part
Sap
Plant part
Seed
Product or use
Sweetener

Medicinal uses

Historical medicinal uses. These records describe reported uses. They do not establish safety or effectiveness. Ask a qualified health professional before using any plant medicinally.

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

An infusion of the bark has been used in the treatment of TB[13]. The raw sap has been used as a tonic[13].

Product or use
TB
Product or use
Tonic

Material uses

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them[7][9]. A sticky gum obtained from the buds in spring has been mixed with oil and used as a hair tonic[13]. A fibre obtained from the inner bark is used for making scouring pads, rope and crude dresses[18][5][13]. It was harvested in the spring and was also used in making baskets[13]. Young stems are used as coarse twine warp and weft in the manufacture of baskets[13]. Wood - light, soft, not strong, close grained. It is highly valued for timber, furniture and indoor use and is also used for carving bowls, veneer etc[14][15][17][18][5][12]. It makes an excellent fuel, producing a hot smokeless flame[11].

Product or use
Basketry
Product or use
Fibre
Product or use
Fuel
Product or use
Hair care
Product or use
Preservative
Product or use
Scourer
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
Western N. America - southern Alaska to California.
Habitat
Found in a variety of soil types, on the banks of streams, in rich bottom lands and on rocky slopes of mountain valleys[17][12].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 6+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerates Nutritionally Poor Soil
No
Drought
intolerant

Propagation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it usually germinates in the following spring. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. It can be slow to germinate. The seed can be harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has dried and produced any germination inhibitors) and sown immediately. It should germinate in late winter. If the seed is harvested too soon it will produce very weak plants or no plants at all[16][4]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions. Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus. Cuttings of young shoots in June or July. The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter.

Cultivation

This section contains historical Plants For A Future notes marked noncommercial.

Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil[3] and a position that is at least moderately sunny[3][10]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Chlorosis can sometimes develop as a result of iron deficiency when the plants are grown in alkaline soils, but in general maples are not fussy as to soil pH. Growth of young plants is rapid in the wild, slowing down after 40 -50 years with a maximum life span of about 275 years[12]. This species thrives in Britain but it can be cut back in a severe winter if that follows a mild autumn[3]. A very ornamental plant[1]. Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[7][9].

References

  1. F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956 Oxford University Press 1951-00-00

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  2. Tanaka. T. Tanaka's Cyclopaedia of Edible Plants of the World. Keigaku Publishing 1976-00-00

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  3. Bean. W. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Vol 1 - 4 and Supplement. Murray 1981-00-00

    ↩1↩2↩3

  4. Dirr. M. A. and Heuser. M. W. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press 1987-00-00 ISBN 0942375009

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  5. Gunther. E. Ethnobotany of Western Washington. University of Washington Press 1981-00-00 ISBN 0-295-95258-X

    ↩1↩2↩3

  6. Kunkel. G. Plants for Human Consumption. Koeltz Scientific Books 1984-00-00 ISBN 3874292169

    ↩1↩2

  7. Philbrick H. and Gregg R. B. Companion Plants. Watkins 1979-00-00

    ↩1↩2

  8. Facciola. S. Cornucopia - A Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications 1990-00-00 ISBN 0-9628087-0-9

    ↩1↩2

  9. Riotte. L. Companion Planting for Successful Gardening. Garden Way, Vermont, USA. 1978-00-00 ISBN 0-88266-064-0

    ↩1↩2

  10. Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. MacMillan Press 1992-00-00 ISBN 0-333-47494-5

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  11. Lauriault. J. Identification Guide to the Trees of Canada Fitzhenry and Whiteside, Ontario. 1989-00-00 ISBN 0889025649

    ↩1↩2

  12. Elias. T. The Complete Trees of N. America. Field Guide and Natural History. Van Nostrand Reinhold Co. 1980-00-00 ISBN 0442238622

    ↩1↩2↩3

  13. Moerman. D. Native American Ethnobotany Timber Press. Oregon. 1998-00-00 ISBN 0-88192-453-9

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4↩5↩6↩7↩8

  14. Uphof. J. C. Th. Dictionary of Economic Plants. Weinheim 1959-00-00

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  15. Usher. G. A Dictionary of Plants Used by Man. Constable 1974-00-00 ISBN 0094579202

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  16. McMillan-Browse. P. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books 1985-00-00 ISBN 0-901361-21-6

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  17. Sargent. C. S. Manual of the Trees of N. America. Dover Publications Inc. New York. 1965-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20278-X

    ↩1↩2↩3

  18. Turner. N. J. Plants in British Columbian Indian Technology. British Columbia Provincial Museum 1979-00-00 ISBN 0-7718-8117-7

    ↩1↩2↩3

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