PSC 2620: Woody Trees and Shrub | Course Home | Week 6 |
Norway Maple is a large shade tree most suited for open spces and landscapes. | The leaf is large, 4-7 inches wide, and has five lobes. |
Fall color is a mix of brown and yellow. | Norway Maple produces an abundance of seeds and, as a result, new Maple starts can run rampant around the tree if not removed. Image: Andrew Butko |
The leaves are large, 4 to 7 inches long and wide, and are arranged oppositely on the stem. The petiole is also long and can reach up to 4 inches long. They have five lobes, the middle three being the largest and similar in size. The margin of the leaves is smooth, though rippling of the leaf edge can make the margin appear to be slightly undulate. The leaf is dark green and glossy. Fall color is yellow, but it is often less than impressive. The glossy samaras are 1.5 to 2 inches long and are arranged in just slightly less than a straight line.
Despite its many admirable qualities, there are some important drawbacks to the Norway Maple. It can become invasive due to its many seedlings that grow up around it, and removing these seedlings is a constant maintenance task. It also has a shallow root system which will buckle sidewalks and interfere with lawn.
It is an excellent shade tree and is a suitable selection for larger residential lots as well as commercial projects. Because of its shallow root system it should not be used in parking strips or as parking lot trees.
Verticillium wilt can be a problem. While it is currently free from any major pest population, the over-use of Acer platanoides is likely to lead to decimation of the population by some disease or insect in a similar manner to what was seen with both the Elm and Ash.
Crimson King br> Extremely popular due to its rich maroon colored leaf. It may experience some leaf scorch during the middle of summer here. It reaches 40-50 feet tall. br>
Emerald Queen br> Emerald queen has a good upright oval form and dark green leaves. It has a good yellow fall color. Reaches 50 feet high. br>
Drummondii br> A variegated variety with light green leaves with creamy margins. Reaches 35 feet high. br>
Columnar br> An upright branching tree that forms a dense column of foliage. It can reach as high as 50-60 feet tall, with a spread of 15-20 feet. br>
Globosum br> A strange looking tree that has a very formal globular canopy. It looks as if it has just recently been pruned to shape. Much smaller than the regular species (15 feet tall) and also slower growing. br>
Parkway br> Another upright form of Norway Maple, though not as pronounced in form as Columnar, it reaches only 40 feet tall with a spread of 25 feet wide. br>