Acer argutum
Family: Aceraceae
What it is like
Acer argutum is a deciduous Tree growing to 8 m (26ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in October. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). . The plant is not self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 8
Where it is found
In cool temperate to lower subalpine forests, usually growing in moist sites at streamsides at elevations of 800 - 1900 metres.
E. Asia - central and southern Japan.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
The sap contains a certain amount of sugar and can either be used as a drink, or the sap can be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. 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.
Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.
Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 1
The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them.
Preservative: For food, or for treating wood, ropes etc.
How it is grown
Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil in a sunny position but tolerates some shade. 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. This species prefers its trunk in the shade. Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. Dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Propagating it: 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. 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. Cuttings of this species root well.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 4-8
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist