Acer platanoides — Norway Maple

Introduced in the late 17th century, naturalised in some areas, and common almost everywhere.

The opposite five-lobed leaves have several whisker-tipped teeth on each lobe. The buds are fairly large and reddish-purple. The bright yellow flowers appear in erect corymbs before the leaves, making the tree briefly very colourful. The winged keys are at almost 180 degrees to one another.

f. purpureum trees with purple foliage are extremely common, and include a number of clones which are separated by subtle differences in the coloration of the leaf underside during the course of the growing season. They tend to flower a little later, the flowers contrasting splendidly with the emerging leaves.

‘Drummondii’ is an extremly common variegated form with a pale yellow leaf margin.

‘Columnare’ is a fastigiate (vertically-branching) form.

 
 

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Copyright © 2007 Philip Brassett