Acer platanoides - Spitzahorn

Common name: Norway Maple

Scientific name: Acer platanoides

Family: Sapindaceae

Origin: Native to Switzerland

Summary: Introduced in the 17th century, the handsome Norway maple is known for its hardy timber. Its leaves are a favourite with caterpillars and its seeds are eaten by birds and small mammals.

Leaves: Palmate with five lobes with a few pointed teeth. They are usually dark green in colour, fading to yellow and occasionally red before falling in autumn.

Flowers: Bright green flowers grow in clusters of up to 30.

Fruits: Once pollinated by insects, female flowers develop into winged seeds, known as samaras, which fall in autumn and are spread by wind.

Value to wildlife: A number of moth caterpillars feed on the leaves, and the flowers provide nectar and pollen for bees and other insects. Birds and small mammals eat the seeds.

Uses of Norway maple: Norway maple timber is similar to that of sycamore, being hard, strong and pale cream in colour. It may be used for a variety of situations, including furniture and turnery. However it is not often grown commercially due to problems associated with grey squirrels, which strip the bark.

Trees are also planted widely in towns and cities, thanks to their ornamental value and tolerance of shade and pollution.

Did you know?: Like other maples, Norway maple can be tapped for its syrup.

Text courtesy of the Woodland Trust