Acer platanoides
Speaking as an American who has n’t left the continent , I think Norway is really , really cool . Not just because of Vikings and fiord , but also for what the land has give to botany as a whole .
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One such contribution is the Svalbard Global Seed Vault – nicknamed the “ Doomsday ” Vault – a seed depository financial institution on the Norse island of Svalbard that ’s stock with seed from more than one million unlike crops , which can be used to bear on botanic diverseness and kickstart Agriculture Department in the event of a planetary Book of Revelation .
Photo via Alamy.
Another is the Norway maple , a species ofAcerthat ’s known for its beauty , adaptability , and permissiveness for a plethora of less - than - ideal growing conditions .
This tree sports a rounded , proportionate use of densely - growing foliage that starts off a gorgeous dark gullible before changing to a striking xanthous come fall .
It even looks awing when defoliated , with rut gray bark that tally interesting grain to winter landscape painting .
In this guide on growingAcer platanoides , we ’ll go over everything you need to recognize to domesticate handsome and healthy Norway maple specimens in your dwelling landscape .
Growing such an awesome industrial plant may seem daunting , but any epic journey can be made doable by first breaking it down into simpler parts .
Here are say simpler parts , coming up beforehand :
What You’ll Learn
Cultivation and History
Hardy in USDA zone 4 to 7,A. platanoidesis native to the central and eastern regions of Europe , as well as westerly Asia .
in reality the most far-flung aboriginal maple in Europe , grow as far Occident as northerly Spain and as far east as Russia and Kazakhstan , its ontogeny covers a broad range on the vertical plane also – it ’s been find growing in river valleys as well as in mickle ranges !
The Norway maple was work in Great Britain as early as 1683 at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden . The tree was later introduce to the United States in 1756 , and was being advertised in American source catalogs by 1762 .
In the year that followed , A. platanoidesbecame a popular planting in the United States and has remained so ever since , despite its invading growing tendencies in some region .
At the meter of writing , 17 US state have classified this species as encroaching , including Delaware , Maryland , West Virginia , and Virginia . In addition , plant Norway maples is banned in Massachusetts and New Hampshire .
cultivar have been bred en masse to blow up certain characteristics in the landscape and/or curtail less worthy trait . The lumber of this flora is used to make piece of furniture , flooring , and may have even been used in the construction of Stradivarius violin .
Propagation
Norway maple is best circulate from seed , from cuttings , or via transplanting . rent ’s briefly go over all three options .
From Seed
As a penis of theAcergenus , the seeded player of Norway maples are encased samaras , which are germ pod shaped like single - bladed propeller .
The “ blades ” of these samaras catch the gentle wind as the come drops from the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , which causes it to lento descend in a spinning motion .
This allows the ejaculate pod to catch cross - breezes and res publica further aside from the tree than it would have had it just fallen directly down instead . This clever method acting of ejaculate dispersal allowsA. platanoidesto spread far and all-inclusive .
Norway maples drop their seeds in the months of September and October , so you ’ll have to be ready to collect them . you may wait until they miss from the tree , or you may roll them off once they ’ve germinate a tan , desiccated - looking crinkliness .
Either means , once you have the samaras , it ’s time to peel back the flaky exterior to bring out the seeds within . These ejaculate have a low sprouting rate , so you ’ll want to gain a set more than you think you ’ll need .
Once you have your semen , you ’ll need to cold stratify them . you may let nature do the work by inseminate them directly into a bandage of productive , well - drained soil . Sow the seed a quarter - column inch deep , and really pile them in there , with a seed denseness of 15 to 30 per square foot .
you could also cold stratify indoors by placing your germ in a plastic baggie filled with moist George Sand , and then refrigerating the seed at 33 to 39 ° F for 90 to 120 days . Then plant them out as draw above .
You may be wondering why we would implant these seeds so dumbly . In a 2009 written report published by the American Society for Horticultural Science in “ HortTechnology,”A. platanoidesgermination rates straddle from zero to 23 percent , on average .
With such a low germination rate , it ’s substantive to sow more seeds than you ’d recall you ’ll need . you’re able to slim them after they germinate .
Water in the plant come , and keep the soil moist until the germ sprout .
If you ’d prefer to start up the source indoors , ready a 1020 - sized plastic seed tray with a well - drain growing medium such as a 50/50 intermixture of bog moss peat moss and perlite .
Sow the seeds a tail - inch to a full in rich , and keep the average moist . Once they ’ve burgeon forth , keep the tray adjacent to a sunny window , where it can obtain indirect lightness for at least one-half of the sidereal day , and conserve even moisture .
you’re able to begin hardening off the seedlings in springtime once they have three to four true leave and have developed a solid ascendant system – check by mildly perpetrate on the seedling to see if they give way .
If the root systems insure out , leave the seedlings outside for 30 to 60 minutes before convey them back indoors . contribute another 30 to 60 minute of arc to the time spent outdoors on each subsequent day until the seedlings are condition for a full mean solar day ’s photograph .
From Cuttings
In midsummer to early downfall , take a six- to eight - inch - long semi - hardwood cutting from a healthy shoot with a sanitized brand .
Remove the leaf from the bottom one-half of the cutting , and apply a rooting hormone to the defoliate last . A high-pitched - quality mathematical product is this IBA powder sold by Bonide , which is availablefrom Arbico Organics .
Bonide Bontone II Rooting Powder
Next , take a four - column inch plastic flowerpot with a half - and - half mix of sphagnum peat moss and perlite . dumbfound the cutting in , cut end down , and wash the develop medium .
locate the pot adjacent to a window that take in collateral sunshine for most of the day , making certain to keep the soil moist as it root .
Transplanting
Early spring or fall are idealistic metre for transplanting .
In a suited location in your garden , section off fertile soil with good drainage for each specimen that you plan on transplantation , whether they ’re seedlings , rooted cutting , or simply specimens that you ’ve buy at a glasshouse or through the Interweb .
If you take off from seed , choose the largest and healthy seedling for planting . If you have remnant seedling , feel complimentary to give them out to friends and family … who have been cleared to plant a Norway maple in their area , that is !
Make trusted each transplanting emplacement is n’t under any power billet or other tree canopy , and give each transplantation a 30 - foot wheel spoke of horizontal headway , to account for mature spread .
For the health of the transplants , it ’s best that they have muckle of room to grow and develop .
organize holes about the deepness and width of each transplantation ’s stem arrangement . Put the transplant in the holes and backfill with the adjacent , dug - out grunge . profoundly irrigate each transplant , and keep the soil evenly moist as the plant becomes established .
How to Grow
A Norway maple is well - renowned for its enduringness , specially against heat energy , polluted air , and urban stipulation . Heck , you might have take one just so it would add some verdure to an area with some shoddy conditions that you ’re stuck with .
But anA. platanoidesisn’t too tough to gain from a little TLC . When you allow for idealistic growing conditions for this tree diagram , you ’ll be rewarded with vibrant health and vigor .
Climate and Exposure Needs
This tree necessitate to be grow in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 7 in purchase order to thrive . It choose full sun , but partial shade works as well . It ’ll even tolerate full refinement , especially while in its juvenile stage for the first few years of maturation .
Soil Needs
The Norway maple can handle growing in sand , clay , and anything in between . The soil does n’t even have to be all that prolific , although high fertility is preferable . But strain and provide some decent drainage , if at all potential .
to boot , it might behoove you to choose a moist , well - run out planting site to begin with … might save you some work on irrigation .
As far as acidity and alkalinity buy the farm , a pH of 4.0 to 7.5 is survivable , although a more narrow range of 5.5 to 6.5 is optimum . Aim to shoot down somewhere on the acidulous side of neutral , andconduct a stain trial before planting if you need to .
Irrigation and Fertilization Needs
Although this tree diagram prefers that its grunge is prevent evenly moist – in a well - draining emplacement , that is – it also possesses some decent drouth leeway once established and when it ’s matured .
This should n’t be taken as license to blow off irrigating entirely , but rather , it ’s a saving grace for forgetful gardeners .
finger free to advance the soil ’s fertility by working a twain inches of compost or well - waste manure into the grime above the ascendent geographical zone each yr in former spring .
Growing Tips
Pruning and Maintenance
A. platanoidesbenefits from some well - accomplish pruning – our guide to pruning maple tree diagram can be found here .
Norway maple leaves hang on by and by in pin than native maples , and they may give ear on to the trees through mid - to - late November .
But after Thanksgiving and into early wintertime , you’re able to expect the foliage to start slowly falling , and these leafage may need to be raked up .
The Norway maple does have some traits that allow it to produce invasively , such as early flowering , liberate allelopathic chemical that impede the growing of certain other plants , and the power to naturalize in timberland while outcompeting aboriginal plant .
The same qualities that made it a fertile maple in Eurasia can make it a substantial pain sensation to keep contained here in The New World under the right conditions .
All this to say , as yourA. platanoidesgrows and develops , you may observe that volunteer sprouts are popping up in spots where you do n’t want them to , thanks to the easily spread out samara .
To battle this , pull seedlings as they sprout , glance over up the fall key particularly in areas where you do n’t want them to spread , and nip off suckers away from the trunks of show Norway maples as they appear .
Another thing worth mentioning : frost snap . Much like concrete in wintertime , wood poise and contracts as it gets inhuman out .
When the temperature drop is sudden and speedy , a Norway maple ’s outside bark shrink faster than the underlie sapwood , which causes it to fissure and split . These rip materialize all at once in an explosive fashion , letting off a loud , gunfire - esque crack .
Most of the time , you’re able to let the tree heal on its own . An exception is if the wound is messy , in which case it ’s undecomposed to trim away any ragged barque to promote heal andprevent infectionor plague .
In addition , apply a sterilized leaf blade to trace around the wound and leave behind a clean half - in margin between the wound and your surgical incision – this will stimulate cambium regrowth and speed up healing .
Cultivars to Select
The standardA. platanoidesis sure enough a beaut , and it is available as a bareroot , three- to four - foot - tall transplantfrom The Home Depot .
But it would be remiss of me if I did n’t mention the available cultivar , which have been bred for ornamental trait not found in the regular ol’ species . Let ’s go over some top - tier options .
Crimson King
Reaching a pinnacle and feast of 45 by 30 feet , ‘ Crimson baron ’ is notable for its leaves , which remain a maroon or purple - green coloring throughout the acquire time of year .
The foliage darkens and turns bronze in descent , while the inconspicuous flowers bloom in hues of maroon - yellowness in the spring . Hardy in zone 3 to 7 , this cultivar is a bit more resistant to frigidness than the standard species .
The rounded canopy of this cultivar is symmetric , and the habit scarcely varies between unlike specimens of ‘ Crimson King , ’ making it an ideal cultivar for found all in a row along a border or fence line .
‘ Crimson King ’
To purchase a ‘ Crimson King ’ in three- to four- , four- to five- , or six- to seven - foot - marvelous size , chaffer Fast Growing Trees .
Crimson Sentry
A bud play of ‘ Crimson Martin Luther King ’ with standardised food color , ‘ Crimson Sentry ’ is a heavy and columnar miscellanea that does n’t grow tall or wider than 25 by 15 feet .
This compact size of it makes it idealistic for scenarios where you might wish to plant another type of Norway maple but do n’t have the elbow room .
to boot , ‘ Crimson Sentry ’ is slower - growing than ‘ Crimson King . ’
If you ’re a works parent who wipe a tear from their eye as you reflect on how “ they grow up so tight , ” then ‘ Crimson Sentry ’ is the perfect variety to enjoy as a juvenile person for a little while longer than normal .
‘ Crimson Sentry ’
‘ Crimson Sentry ’ isavailable from Nature Hills Nursery .
Globosum
If you ’ve ever want a Norway maple in the shape of a massive lolly , then ‘ Globosum ’ is the cultivar for you .
With an adequate height and spread of 15 to 20 foot , this assortment has a densely globular habit with sharply - toothed green farewell that sour a come to yellowness in fall .
It maintains its succinctly rounded form as it grows , so no demand for pruning !
Stand Fast
If ‘ Globosum ’ can be described as “ leaves on a stick , ” then ‘ Stand Fast ’ could be viewed as a joint … that ’s underwrite with leaf .
With dark green , wrinkle folio that turn flushed in fall , this cultivar reach a tiptop of 20 foot and a breadth of three foot , at most .
If you ’re count for that stereotypical Norway maple form , then you ’ll be disappointed .
But for anA. platanoidesvariety that fit exceptionally well in tight vertical spaces , while also being a unparalleled oddball in the landscape painting , ‘ brook tight ’ will pleasantly surprise you .
Managing Pests and Disease
For keeping a Norway maple at peak health , it ’s of the essence to keep it detached from infestation and contagion .
Aside from the follow lead and thaumaturgy , just cultivate yourA. platanoidesproperly according to recommended guidelines for planting and guardianship will go a prospicient elbow room in stay fresh pests and pathogen forth .
Insects
Insects can vector pathogen at times , so proper pest management also has the fringe benefit of prevent the occurrence of sure types of disease .
belong to the same order as moths and butterflies – Lepidoptera – bagworms are no joke . The larvae heavily provender on upper leafage tissues , and sometimes the hurt is enough to obliterate an intact plant life .
Adult male appear in typical moth fashion , with black dead body and percipient wing . Adult female , however , do n’t look remotely like the male . They are sightless , legless , wingless , antennae - less creatures with no functional mouthpart .
As larvae , these pests ramp up “ bags ” from silk and contiguous plant textile . The females never leave their bag , while the males leave their dish upon due date , fell to a nearby female ’s bag , couple with the female , and then snuff it in a matter of days .
Each fertilise female person lays 500 to 1,000 eggs , which larvae hatching from in other summertime to begin feed .
The best way to moderate bagworms is with the beneficial bacteria known asBacillus thuringiensis kurstaki , which can be annihilating to bagworm population if it ’s use during the larval form .
Bonide Thuricide
Bonide sells this bacteria as a liquid concentrate in various volumes , available from Arbico Organics .
The term “ leafroller ” refers to the larva of certain moth from the Torticidae menage . These leafrollers earned their name from the way they range and vane up a leaf around themselves for protection as they feed on foliar tissue paper .
In general , leafrollers are lithesome , extend to two - third of an inch in distance , and have a green body with a black head .
Infested foliage appears roll up , with webbing in place to keep the leaf closed . The impairment sustained from leafrollers is n’t wicked enough to puzzle a wellness peril , but it can be an ornamental nuisance .
Chemical control let in sprays of neem oil and applications of the microbial insecticideBacillus thuringiensis . Additionally , good insectssuch as lacewing larvae and assassin bugs feed on leafroller larvae .
Neem vegetable oil sprays are sold by Natria in 24 - ounce bottlesvia Amazon , while a excerpt of good hemipteron can be foundat Arbico Organics .
An trespassing European specie , Periphyllus lyropictusonly has one host in North America : the Norway maple .
This pestis is distribute solely in areas whereA. platanoidescan be determine , and its presence is welcomed by those who believe the Norway maple to be an encroaching pain in the neck . But for those fond ofA. platanoides , Norway maple aphids are bad news .
P. lyropictuscomes in both fly and wingless physical body . Wingless Norway maple aphids are a dark-green - yellow color , with brown markings on the stomach . WingedP. lyropictusare larger , black - bodied , clearly - winged , and have peg with both xanthous and smutty section .
Large infestation of Norway maple aphid stimulate foliar browning and wrinkling , along with premature leaf drop .
They also excrete honeydew melon as they run , which causes damage to plant social organization , attracts other insects , and is a causal factor forblack pitchy molding .
Applications of horticultural oil in the hibernating time of year work as a preventative measure , and strong spray of piddle can physically knockP. lyropictusoff of folio aerofoil .
ladybird beetle are a born predator of Norway maple aphids , and their presence can serve to decreaseP. lyropictuspopulations .
You canlearn more about how to deal with aphid in our guide .
Disease
horticulture can be soiled work , but that does n’t mean you should be unhealthful about it .
Utilizing sterilized shaft , pathogen - free soil , and healthy transplants are all whole ways of keeping your garden sanitary , which will avail forbid disease from occurring .
A fungous disease commonly come about in shade trees , anthracnose tend to move in conditions that ’s at the same time wet and coolheaded .
The causal fungus kingdom , Colletotrichum gloeosporioides , overwinters in plant social system and nearby fallen junk , and anthracnose spores propagate via malarky and water .
symptom include irregularly shaped tan - to - browned spots or blotches on foliation , and afflicted young leaves are often wave , cupped , or otherwise distorted .
Severely infected Tree may drip their leaf early in spring , but thankfully grow a 2nd round of golf of leave of absence by midsummer if otherwise healthy .
Most of the time , you do n’t have to do much for anthracnose - riddled trees , as levelheaded leaves will finally replace the septic I .
However , fungicide can help if grievous defoliation has occurred for years on end . right fungicide practical app over the entire tree may require the aid of a professional tree surgeon .
stimulate by fungi from theRhytismagenus , tar spot shows up on infected leaves as xanthous spots which pop out an 8th of an column inch in diameter , but can grow to be three - quarter of an inch across .
Infected Norway maple foliage can develop small fatal structures an eighth of an column inch in diameter that resemble blobs of seafarer .
This wrong have by this disease is purely a enhancive issue . Future tar position outbreaks can be prevented by decent disposing of fallen leafage dust .
The most serious affliction on this leaning , Verticillium wilting is triggered by species ofVerticilliumfungi , which overwinter as microsclerotia in the dirt .
This disease get in root openings or injury and basically clogs a plant ’s xylem , so that water ca n’t journey where it need to go .
This manifest in the foliage as folio wilting , yellowing , and margin scorching . to boot , maple sapwood can exhibit greenish streak . This disease can cause plant to exit in as little as a few week , or over a time period of several years .
Other than right sanitation and finish practices , there ’s not much you’re able to do about this disease .
You ’ll just have to vend the septic plant and start over somewhere else . Verticilliumfungi stay in infected soil indefinitely , so you ’ll have to utilize that farm space for some Verticillium - immune planting instead .
Best Uses
Whether it ’s planted in a rural or suburban region , the Norway maple is a perfect tree diagram for large open blank space , supply plenteous shade and cosmetic pastime .
Its spry growth rate , electrical resistance to air befoulment , and tolerance for pitiful soil wee it a great planting for urban areas as well , as long as you provide enough space for it . Recommended cultivars of a pocket-size sizing are suitable in many case .
Quick Reference Growing Guide
The Maple from Norway: It’s Here to Stay
Many kinfolk look down on a works the 2nd they find out it ’s non - aboriginal .
While it ’s important to be ecologically - conscious , a plant with invasive grow tendency does n’t necessarily have to be shunned .
As long as you pay attention to local planting regulations and watch for undesirable spread , a Norway maple can really add some exotic peach and ruggedness to your garden .
For moreguides on produce maple trees , find free to plunk flop into theseAcerarticles next :
© Ask the Experts , LLC . ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.See our TOSfor more details . Product photos via Arbico Organics , FastGrowingTrees.com , Home Depot , Natria , and Nature Hills Nursery . Uncredited photos : Shutterstock .
About
Joe Butler
