Description

Leaves: Opposite, simple; with 3 to 5 lobes and few rounded teeth; 2" to 4" wide and long; deciduous; dark green above and pubescent beneath; petiole 4" long, exudes a milky sap when broken; yellow fall color.

Twigs/buds: Twigs with prominent lenticels; older twigs with corky ridges; pith white and solid.

Flowers/fruit: Dioecious.  Fruit a samara; 1" to 1-3/4" long; wings very wide spread.

Bark: Gray-black; has shallow ridges and furrows; similar to Norway maple (A. platanoides).

Wood: Unimportant; tough, difficult to split, elastic, fine-grained; used for fuel.

General: Native to Europe, Africa, and western Asia.  Prefers well-drained soil, but does well with high soil pH, soil compaction, pollution, and on dry sites.  Intolerant to moderately shade tolerant.

Landscape Use: Medium-sized tree widely used as a hedge in Europe, and can stand heavy pruning for that purpose (do not heavily prune trees once they have gotten large).  Does well in Utah, probably because of its tolerance for dry, alkaline soils.  Essentially pest-free.  Zones 4-8.

Cultivars: 'Carnival', 'Elegant', 'Elsrijk', 'Evenly Red', 'Field Maple', 'Jade Patina', 'Louisa Red Shine', 'Metro Gold', 'Nanum', 'Postelense', 'Pulverentum', 'Queen Elizabeth', 'Royal Ruby', 'Schichtel's Upright', 'St. Gregory', 'William Caldwell'.

Characteristics