Rock Maple, Rocky Mountain maple, Douglas maple, Greene's maple, New Mexico maple, Torrey maple
Acer glabrum
Family: Aceraceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green, Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring.Form: Rounded.
Acer glabrum is a deciduous Tree growing to 9 m (29ft 6in) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 5. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen in September. 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). and is pollinated by Insects. 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. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.
Height (m): 9
Where it is found
Edges of mountain streams, on rocks and in coniferous woods, 1500 - 2000 metres.
Western N. America - Alaska to California, west to New Mexico.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 2
Edible young shoots - cooked. They are used like asparagus. The seedlings, gathered in early spring, are eaten fresh or can be dried for later use. The dried crushed leaves have been used as a spice. Seeds - cooked. The wings are removed and the seeds boiled then eaten hot. The seeds are about 6mm long. Inner bark. 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. An emergency food, it is usually only used when all else fails.
Inner bark: the bark that is found just beneath the tough outer bark of trees and shrubs.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Condiment: the various plants that are used as flavourings, either as herbs, spices or condiments.
Medicine
Rating: 1
A decoction of the wood and bark is said to cure nausea. Another report says that this is specifically the nausea caused by smelling a corpse. An infusion of the bark has been used as a cathartic. A decoction of the branches, together with the branches of Amelanchier sp., was used to heal a woman's insides after childbirth and also to promote lactation.
Antiemetic: Prevents vomiting.
Birthing aid: Used in facilitating birth, but not just to cause uterine contrctions.
Cathartic: A strong laxative but less violent than a purgative.
Galactogogue: Promotes the flow of milk in a nursing mother.
Other
Rating: 2
The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them. A fibre obtained from the inner bark is used for making mats, rope etc. The bark has been used to make spoons, paint containers etc. Wood - tough, hard, heavy, close grained, pliable. It weighs 37lb per cubic foot. The wood can also be used as friction sticks. The green wood can be moulded. The wood is too small for commercial exploitation, though it makes a good fuel. It was often used by native North American Indian tribes for making small items such as snowshoes, drum hoops, bows and pegs.
Containers: Plants, such as gourds, that can be used as containers. Does not include baskets or containers made from wood.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Fuel: Usually wood, plant materials that have been mentioned as being a good fuel.
Preservative: For food, or for treating wood, ropes etc.
Wood: A list of the trees and shrubs that are noted for having useful wood.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Erosion control, Massing. Of easy cultivation, it succeeds in any soil, preferring a good moist well-drained soil. Prefers 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. Hardy to about -25°c. This species grows well at Kew, a specimen was 12 metres tall in 1967. The tree is almost fastigiate. Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. Trees are usually dioecious. Male and female trees must be grown if seed is required. Special Features:North American native, Inconspicuous 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. The seed has a hard coat and can be slow to germinate, often taking 2 years. 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. It is very difficult to find suitable wood for cuttings.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Sunny Edge; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 3-8
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist