Tatarian Maple
Acer tataricum
Family: Aceraceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: Green, White. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded, Spreading or horizontal.
Acer tataricum is a deciduous Tree growing to 9 m (29ft 6in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower from May to June, and the seeds ripen in September. 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 Insects. 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): 9
Where it is found
Found in deciduous oak scrub, rocky slopes and river valleys at altitudes between 500 - 1700 metres in Turkey.
S.E. Europe, W. Asia.
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 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. Seed - cooked. The wings are removed and the seeds are then boiled.
Sap: usually of trees and usually but not always used as a drink.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Sweetener: includes sugar substitutes.
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, Pollard, Standard, Specimen, Street tree. Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil on the acid side and a sunny position. 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. Trees usually fruit abundantly in Britain. A bad companion plant, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants. Special Features:Not North American native, Fragrant flowers, 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. 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 Canopy; Secondary; Dappled Shade;
Habit: Tree
Hardiness: 3-7
Growth: Medium
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Moist