Norway Maple, Harlequin Maple
Acer platanoides
Family: Aceraceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring.Form: Rounded, Spreading or horizontal, Upright or erect.
Acer platanoides is a deciduous Tree growing to 21 m (69ft) by 15 m (49ft) at a fast rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in flower from April to May, and the seeds ripen from September to October. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant) and is pollinated by Bees. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure. It can tolerate atmospheric pollution.
Height (m): 21
Where it is found
Grows on all but very poor soils in Britain.
Europe, from Scandanavia to the Urals and the Mediterranean, east to W.Asia. Naturalized in Britain.
Conservation Status: This taxon has not yet been assessed.
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 can be concentrated into a syrup by boiling off the water. The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods. The concentration of sugar is considerably 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.
Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.
Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 3
The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them. The trees are fairly wind tolerant and are often used in to give protection from the wind in mixed shelterbelts. They are fast-growing and rapidly produce a screen. A rose coloured dye is obtained from the bark. Wood - hard, heavy, fine grained. Used for small domestic items.
Dye: Plants that provide dyes.
Preservative: For food, or for treating wood, ropes etc.
Shelterbelt: Wind resistant plants than can be grown to provide shelter in the garden etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Firewood, Aggressive surface roots possible, Pollard, Screen. Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil but thrives in any soil. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Prefers a sunny position but tolerates some shade. One report says that plants tolerate chalky soils, 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. 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. Norway maple is a bad companion plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. The leaves are seldom eaten or defaced by insects because the tree contains a sharp milky juice that they dislike. Trees take 30 years to produce seed. Special Features: Not North American native, Invasive, Naturalizing, Attractive flowers or blooms.
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. Cultivars can be budded onto rootstocks of the species. Any grafting is best carried out in September rather than February.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Canopy;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 3-7
Growth: Fast
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist
Things to keep in mind
This plant can be weedy or invasive in Northeast/Wisconsin. In Connecticut (Norway maple) is invasive but not banned. In Massachusetts (Norway maple) is Prohibited.