Shantung Maple, Purpleblow Maple
Acer truncatum
Family: Aceraceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green, Yellow. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded, Vase.
Acer truncatum is a deciduous Tree growing to 8 m (26ft 3in) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower in April, and the seeds ripen from August to September. The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant). 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): 8
Where it is found
Deciduous oak forests at elevations of 400 - 1000 metres in China.
E. Asia - N. China, Korea, Manchuria.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 1
Seed - roasted. Rather small and fiddly to utilize.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating:
The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them.
Companion: Companion planting is the careful placement of plants (especially vegetables and herbs) which have been shown to have beneficial effects on one another.
Preservative: For food, or for treating wood, ropes etc.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Container, Standard, Specimen, Street tree. Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil and 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. Plants produce prodigious root growth but little top growth in first year from seed. This species is closely related to A. mono. Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. Special Features:Not 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. The seed of this species has hypogeal germination, that is the true seed leaves remain below the soil and the first leaves to appear above soil level are true leaves. 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.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Secondary; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 3-8
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist