A tree with 🌳︎ broadleaves arranged ╫ opposite, blade division=🍁︎ simple, margin=♧ lobed, 3-7 main leaf veins radiating from 🍁︎ one point (✋︎ palmate), sinuses=∪ rounded (U-shaped), base=___ straight, wider than long, and leaf stem injury exudes white milky juice.
Part of
🍁︎ maple genus Acer
in
soapberry family Sapindaceae.
Native to 🇪🇺 Europe and western Asia.
Invasive > learn+quiz
Invasive > Global
Invasive > in USA+Canada
Invasive > report it!
Invasive > in USA
Invasive > in Michigan
Ötzi the Iceman carried a container with freshly-picked 🇳🇴 🍁︎ Norway maple leaves, presumed to have insulated burning charcoal embers.
[1]
In North America, often planted in new housing developments, one in each front yard, due to its excellent shade (which stays into Autumn), and nothing eats it. Unfortunately, it does not turn the pretty reds and yellows and oranges of the native maple trees. And it fails to feed the population of local native 🐞︎🐛︎🐜︎🐝︎ insects, so your yard is relatively sterile!
Plant nurseries have created many
cultivars
of Norway maple, selecting for distinctive leaf shapes or colorations. For many varieties, during the first month of the growing season, the leaves are burgundy. Two of our authors have a
🇳🇴 🍁︎ Norway maple Acer platanoides 'Schwedleri' or 'Crimson King',
which gives very nice color.
[2]
Although here in 🇨🇦 Canada and 🇺🇸 USA, the tree provides
no ecological functions/ecosystem services
at all.
Native alternatives (Missouri Botanical Garden).
Native alternatives (Pennsylvania) (.pdf page 4).
Native alternatives (Brooklyn Botanic Garden).
References
[1]
"Ötzi the Iceman" page "Equipment" section "Birch-bark containers." South Tyrol Museum of Archaeology. 2016.
Accessed 2017-02-10.
[2] Marked as two varieties? And not native to our location. Hard to chase down, and nothing we can do short of cutting it down—was planted by a previous owner.