Norway maple

Short Description

The Norway maple can grow up to 35 m tall. In rare instances, it can also grow as a shrub.

The leaves have long stalks and grow oppositely on the branch. They are generally palmately lobed and hairless. The leaf margins are finely serrated. The leaf stalk contains a milky sap.

The bark is light grey and smooth initially, later turning dark grey with vertical fissures.

The flowers are yellow-green and clustered in drooping panicles (flower heads).

The fruit is a winged nut fruit consisting of two mericarps. The wings of the fruits are at an obtuse angle to each other.

Features

Norway maple

Acer platanoides

sharply serrated leaf margin
leaf stalk with a milky sap
wings of the fruits at an obtuse angle to each other

Similar species

Sycamore

Acer pseudoplatanus

Sycamore leaves are matt. The lobes do not have long teeth and the leaf stalk no milky sap. The wings of the fruits are arranged at an acute angle to each other.

Silver maple

Acer saccharinum

The leaves of the silver maple are silver-grey on the underside with deep notches. There is no sap in the leaf stalks. The wings of the fruits are arranged at an obtuse angle to each other.

Field maple

Acer campestre

The leaves of the field maple are notably smaller. The lobes of the leaves are often undivided and rounded. The wings of the fruits are arranged horizontally to each other.

In the city

The norway maple is a suitable and frequent park and street tree. Maple species produce numerous fruits, so that the trees can spread well on their own within the city. An important ecological achievement of norway maple is discussed as its potential to improve urban air quality by binding particulate matter.

Fun Facts

Before the leaves appear, the numerous flowers of the norway maple herald the coming of spring.
The flowers of maple species are usually hermaphroditic, i.e. a flower contains female parts and male parts. However, there are unisexual flowers, i.e. there are only female or male parts. The reason for this is the evolution from insect pollination of hermaphrodite flowers to wind pollination of unisexual flowers.
It flowers from April to May.
The fruit ripening season is from September to October.
Endangerment level Germany: not endangered
Usage:
Its leaves, twigs and syrup are used in natural medicine because of their supposed anti-inflammatory effect.

Sources

Blatt, Alice Kracht, CC BY-SA 4.0, http://species-id.net/openmedia/File:Acer_platanoides_%286%29.JPG

Habitus, Willow, CC BY-SA 2.5, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acer_platanoides_002.jpg

Frucht, Alice Kracht, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://offene-naturfuehrer.de/web/Datei:Acer_platanoides_(15).JPG

Aas, G. & Riedmiller, A. (2002) Laubbäume. Bestimmen – Kennenlernen – Schützen, Bindlach: Gondrom Verlag.

Amann, G. & Richter, P. (1962) Bäume und Sträucher des Waldes, Melsungen: Verlag J. Neumann – Neudamm.

Forum DIE GRÜNE STADT (2013) Bäume und Pflanzen lassen Städte atmen. Schwerpunkt - Feinstaub, URL: https://www.die-gruene-stadt.de/baeume-und-pflanzen-lassen-staedte-atmen.pdfx (Accessed: 02.08.2018).

Umweltforschungszentrum Leipzig - Halle GmbH, Sektion Biozönoseforschung (n.d.) Datenbank biologisch-ökologischer Merkmale der Flora von Deutschland, URL: www.biolflor.de (Accessed: 20.04.2016).

Page „Acer platanoides“. : Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Date of last revision: 30.03.2009, 14:16 UTC. URL: https://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Acer_platanoides&oldid=58492183 (Accessed: 12.04.2016).