Acer platanoides L.

Horticultural & Botanical History

Botanically described as Acer platanoides by Linnaeus in 1753, the name by which it is still known today [Sp. Pl. p.1055/1753].

Introduced to Britain in 1683.  [JD]. Much used as a street tree in Europe and the United States in the 19th century. It is still a popular street and garden shade tree in Australia, particularly the forms that provide good autumn colour.

‘The beautiful Norway Maple standing by the curb-stone is a common sight in our city streets. Its roots strike deep and spread laterally, this enables it to hold its own in the struggle with city environments. It comes to us from Europe, its range there extending from Norway to Switzerland. The leaves have a marked resemblance to those of the sugar maple, in form, but are thicker in texture and darker in color. They remain upon the tree fully two weeks longer than those of our native maples and become yellow or fall with little change of color. The petioles are long and when broken exude an acrid milky sap which quickly coagulates. This peculiarity enables one to determine the tree with little difficulty. The greenish flowers appear with the leaves in a short corymbose raceme; the fruit, also borne in short racemes, is a key with widely divergent wings. The tree reaches the height of sixty feet, develops a broad round head, and becomes strong and sturdy. Its winter buds are large and red; its branchlets at first are green, later they become reddish brown and shining.’ [Our Native Trees and How to Identify Them p.82/1917].

History at Camden Park

Grown in the gardens before 1843.  Listed in all published catalogues [T.14/1843].

Notes