MAple
(Acer)
The Acer genus covers the maples and many sycamores.
Acer campestre, the field maple, is native to England, Wales, and Europe. The leaves are palmate – five lobes like a hand – and rounded. The shape and how deeply lobed varies from the top of the tree, more deeply lobed to let more light through, to a fatter less lobed leaf lower down to catch more light. But the shape also has local variations by the part of Britain or Europe from which the tree originated.
Acer pseudoplatanus (meaning like the plane tree) is sycamore, which is native to southern Europe and was introduced here fairly recently. It seeds itself very readily and is quite naturalised. Sycamore too has palmate leaves but more pointed lobes than field maple. The points are rounded at the end only just visibly. A number of maples have very similarly lobed leaves but the points end in a fine hair – as in Norway maple, Acer platanoides.
A few maples have leaves which are not lobed, like the Pere David’s maple, Acer davidii, which grew in Clemsons until it died in about 2018. Those leaves are oval and that species is native to China.
Many maples (and sycamores) produce good pale wood, which is popular for furniture, and has been used for piano keys and violin backs and sides.
For more information on how to identify varieties of Acers and Maples go here.
Acer campestre, the field maple, is native to England, Wales, and Europe. The leaves are palmate – five lobes like a hand – and rounded. The shape and how deeply lobed varies from the top of the tree, more deeply lobed to let more light through, to a fatter less lobed leaf lower down to catch more light. But the shape also has local variations by the part of Britain or Europe from which the tree originated.
Acer pseudoplatanus (meaning like the plane tree) is sycamore, which is native to southern Europe and was introduced here fairly recently. It seeds itself very readily and is quite naturalised. Sycamore too has palmate leaves but more pointed lobes than field maple. The points are rounded at the end only just visibly. A number of maples have very similarly lobed leaves but the points end in a fine hair – as in Norway maple, Acer platanoides.
A few maples have leaves which are not lobed, like the Pere David’s maple, Acer davidii, which grew in Clemsons until it died in about 2018. Those leaves are oval and that species is native to China.
Many maples (and sycamores) produce good pale wood, which is popular for furniture, and has been used for piano keys and violin backs and sides.
For more information on how to identify varieties of Acers and Maples go here.
