Practical
Plants

Acer platanoides

Norway 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
21 m
Spread
15 m
Fertility
Bees
Flower type
monoecious
Pollinators
Bees

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[12][1][6]. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. The concentration of sugar is considerably lower than in the sugar maples (A. saccharum)[8]. 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.

Plant part
Sap
Product or use
Sweetener

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]. The trees are fairly wind tolerant and are often used in to give protection from the wind in mixed shelterbelts[10]. They are fast-growing and rapidly produce a screen[10]. A rose coloured dye is obtained from the bark[14]. Wood - hard, heavy, fine grained. Used for small domestic items[12][4][13][15].

Product or use
Dye
Product or use
Preservative
Product or use
Wood

Ecology and functions

Ecosystem niche
Canopy

Environment

Range
Europe, from Scandanavia to the Urals and the Mediterranean, east to W.Asia. Naturalized in Britain.
Habitat
Grows on all but very poor soils in Britain[5].
Light
full sun
Shade tolerance
light shade
Water
moderate
Hardiness
Zone 3+
Soil textures
sandy, loamy, clay, heavy clay
Soil pH
acid, neutral, alkaline, very alkaline
Drainage
well drained
Tolerances
high wind
Wind
Yes
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][3]. 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. Cultivars can be budded onto rootstocks of the species. Any grafting is best carried out in September rather than February.

Cultivation

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

Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil but thrives in any soil[2][5]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a sunny position but tolerates some shade[2][10]. One report says that plants tolerate chalky soils[10], but another says that plants can develop chlorosis as a result of iron deficiency when they are grown in alkaline soils. Trees are very tolerant of atmospheric pollution[11]. The Norway maple is a quick-growing tree that has been widely planted in Britain and is more or less naturalized. There are many named forms that have been selected for their ornamental value[2]. Norway maple is a bad companion plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[7][9]. The leaves are seldom eaten or defaced by insects because the tree contains a sharp milky juice that they dislike[12]. Trees take 30 years to produce seed[17].

References

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

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

    ↩1↩2↩3

  3. 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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  4. Triska. Dr. Hamlyn Encyclopaedia of Plants. Hamlyn 1975-00-00 ISBN 0-600-33545-3

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  5. Clapham, Tootin and Warburg. Flora of the British Isles. Cambridge University Press 1962-00-00

    ↩1↩2

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

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

    ↩1↩2

  8. Hedrick. U. P. Sturtevant's Edible Plants of the World. Dover Publications 1972-00-00 ISBN 0-486-20459-6

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  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

    ↩1↩2↩3↩4

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

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  12. Grieve. A Modern Herbal. Penguin 1984-00-00 ISBN 0-14-046-440-9

    ↩1↩2↩3

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

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  14. Schery. R. W. Plants for Man.

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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. Gordon. A. G. and Rowe. D. C. f. Seed Manual for Ornamental Trees and Shrubs.

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