Plane-tree maple
Acer pseudoplanatus
Family: Sapindaceae
What it is like
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
There are about 120-150 Acer species. This one can become invasive.
Where it is found
It is a temperate plant. A plant native to Europe. It prefers deep fertile soil. It needs to be well drained soil and the plant does best in an open sunny position. It is frost resistant but damaged by drought. It can tolerate salty winds and grow near the coast. It has become naturalised in Tasmania. It suits hardiness zones 4-8. Kyneton Botanical Gardens. Tasmania Herbarium. Arboretum Tasmania.
Countries/locations it is found in
Albania, Argentina, Australia, Balkans, Bosnia, Britain, Canada, Caucasus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Europe, Georgia, Greece, Luxembourg, Mediterranean, Middle East, North America, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, South America, Spain, Switzerland, Tasmania, Turkey, Türkiye, USA
How it is used for food
Wine is made from the sap of this tree. The sap contains sugar and can be used as a sweetener or concentrated into a syrup by boiling. The keys of the developing seeds have a sweet exudate sucked by children. The leaves are wrapped around food to impart flavour. The leaf buds have been eaten raw.
Children suck the sweet sap from the keys.
Edible parts
Sap, seeds, leaves - flavour, flowers - tea.
How it is grown
It is grown from ripened seed. Seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours then kept cold at 0-8°C for 2-4 months to assist them to grown. Seed can be sown fresh if green seeds are used. Layering or cuttings can be used.
It is a fast growing tree. Trees can take 25 years to come into bearing from seed. They make good windbreaks in seaside areas. Trees can live for 200 years.
Its other names
Local names
Beli javor, Hegyi juhar, Javor, Javorfa, Maple, Mock plane, Nchkhali, ekerPurple Sycamore, Sycamore maple, Whistlewood