Acer platanoides -Norway Maple (Aceraceae) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Acer platanoides is a stress tolerant tree widely planted -bark lightly fissured in youth, becoming shallowly along streets and residential landscapes. It casts a dense interlaced with ridges with age, but not deeply fissured shade and is available in purple-foliaged or uniquely nor platy as is typical of other large Maples with age shaped forms. USAGE FEATURES Function Form -shade tree for the green-foliaged forms; focal point or -large shade tree specimen tree if it is purple-foliaged or variegated -maturing to 50' tall x 50' wide Texture -upright oval growth habit in -medium-bold texture in foliage and when bare youth, becoming rounded and -thick density in foliage and average density when bare spreading with age Assets -medium growth rate -dense summer shade Culture -purple-foliaged and variegated cultivars -full sun to partial sun (partial -most urban tolerant of the shade Maples for the shade tolerant in youth) Eastern and Midwestern U.S. -prefers cool, moist summers in -fairly symmetrical branching deep, well-drained, moist soils; but tolerates urban Liabilities stress conditions -shallow root system surfaces with age -susceptible to several diseases (including Verticillium -prone to frost cracks on south-facing bark in winter wilt and anthracnose) and pests, but especially prone to -does not perform well under humid conditions of the frost cracks (bark splitting and sap oozing on the south Southern U.S. side of the trunk in winter) -deep shade beneath mature trees inhibits turf -abundantly available, with many cultivars -usually has poor autumn color Foliage -somewhat prone to Verticillium wilt or anthracnose -opposite diseases arrangement, with -self-sows, displacing native trees when allowed to either dark green, grow; becoming weedy and invasive in some areas deep purple, bronze, Habitat or variegated leaves -Zones 3 to 7 (depending upon -Native to Northern Europe (but naturalized wherever cultivar) it is allowed to self-sow) -5-lobed; the basal 2 lobes smaller than SELECTIONS the upper 3, with all Alternates 5 lobes incised but -urban tolerant street trees (Fraxinus pennsylvanica, not serrated Gleditsia triacanthos var. inermis) -palmate venation, -broadleaf shade trees with non-green summer foliage with blades about 6" (Acer negundo 'Flamingo', Fagus sylvatica 'Riversii', long x 6" wide and 'Purpurea Pendula', and 'Tricolor', etc.) larger than Sugar Cultivars – Variants – Related species Maple -Acer platanoides 'Crimson King' - brilliant red-purple -the blade tends to remain flat and even (in contrast emerging foliage, slowly changing to deep purple and with Sugar Maple which tends to curve down) maintaining this color (i.e., not fading to bronze or dark -petioles exude a milky sap when broken off green as with most other cultivars) throughout the -autumn color is often yellowish-green and summer, but turning to an unattractive purple-brown in unattractive, but is occasionally a rich golden yellow autumn; maturing at 45' x 45', but with a slower growth Flowers rate than the green-foliaged forms -globular inflorescences that emerge in Apr. (before the -Acer platanoides 'Emerald Queen' - the most common foliage) are yellow-green and give the otherwise barren cultivar among the green-foliaged forms, growing a tree a bright lime-colored appearance; very attractive little more rapidly than the species form, with an oval- Fruits rounded growth habit at maturity; to 50' x 40', heat and -2 samaras (each 2" long) per stalk, with widely drought tolerant, with yellow autumn color divergent (almost 180 degrees) prominent wings -samaras occur in pendulous clusters, maturing as 'Crimson King' 'Columnare' 'Globosum' brown fruits in Oct. Twigs -stout and brown; with green or purple, large-scaled, prominent buds in winter, depending upon cultivar -much stouter and less twiggy than other Maples, with much larger buds Trunk -light brown to light gray branches, with light gray trunks.