Acer Platanoides, Norway Maple Invasive Plant Identification Fact Sheet

This is the tree, shrub, and vine identification project fact sheet for Acer platanoides, Norway Maple. This fact sheet may not be copied in part or in whole and submitted as one's own project, but may be cited as a source of facts during one's own research. See tree, shrub, and vine identification project main page for links to other plants, and Invasive plants slideshow for pictures.

Plant Botanical Name: Acer platanoides

Common Name: Norway Maple

Family Name: Aceraceae.

Plant is Native to What Country: Europe.

Plant Height at Maturity: 40-60 feet tall and 40-50 feet wide.

Plant Habit and Form: Deciduous shade tree, medium to large in size. Tree is single stem, exhibiting dense branching and a rounded crown. Trees grown in the open are often wider than tall.

Foliage: Dark green leaves opposite, 4-7 inches, with five lobes. Foliage is late to turn color and drop, usually turns a uniform yellow color.

Bark: Bark is gray-brown, smooth on smaller stems, becoming furrowed.

Flower: Plants dioecious, with numerous green-yellow flowers in clusters bloom in April before the leaves grow.

Fruit/Seed: Seeds are enclosed in two-winged samaras, green maturing to brown in fall.

Growing Requirements: Norway Maple is hardy to zone 4, but can be grown in protected areas of Zone 3. Although trees can adapt to a wide variance of conditions, they prefer moist fertile soils with good drainage. Plants do not tolerate prolonged drought or soils low in nitrogen.

Problems and Drawbacks: Trees self-seed, are an invasive liability. Trees also produce shade too dense for growing turf. Shallow root systems are a problem for sidewalks. Trees are susceptible to verticillium wilt and bark splitting. Trees are rapid growers and often are to large for the residential landscape.

Special Uses: Norway Maple is more tolerant of urban conditions than other maples. Variety "Crimson King" is grown for its maroon colored foliage. There is also a variegated cultivar of Norway Maple grown for its foliage.

ID Tips/Remarks: Seedlings and young saplings are very shade tolerant.

Bibliography: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/a/acepla/acepla1.html, http://plants.usda.gov/java/charProfile?symbol=ACPL, http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/acepla/all