| Field Maple (Acer campestre)
Common Maple (Family - Aceraceae)
Description: Small tree with small yellow flowers. Grows well in first 20-25 years to 10-15m, mature at 50 years. Coppices strongly and suitable for hedges standing clipping. Leaves yellow in autumn but also red or golden brown. Height: max 25m. Age: 50-100 years.
Where found: Typically edges of woods and in hedgegrows. Prefers heavy soils calcerous at depth but not lime free (ph 5.5 - 7.7). Frequently associated with ash, hazel and oak. Supports epiphytic lichens and bryophytes and wide range of insects. Native to Cumbria and Durham and south from there but not Scotland or Ireland. Found throughout mainland Europe except Greece, Norway and Sweden, and Northern Russia and west through Asia Minor to the Caspian Sea.
Phenology:
Flowers: March
Leaves: April - May
Fruit: June - July
Ripen: October
Fall: November
Similar species: The sycamore is a native of Central europe and widely distributed in the British Isles. Believed introduced pre 600. Distinguished by red stems if leaves and angled pair of helicopter seeds rather than in-line. Norway Maples (Acer platanoides) is another common introduced species.
Uses past & present: Pale brown wood, soft and fine grained. Uses of wood - Rarely produces timber sized trees and hence used for turnery, marketry and craft work (used in middle ages for musical instruments). Satisfactory for firewood.
Propagation & growth: Grown from seed. Deeply dormant. Treat seed for approx 34 weeks - from collection to planting following spring. Mix with peat and sand, keep moist and allow to fluctuate outside naturally as would naturally occur but protect from predators. Natural germination typically takes 18 months. Produces viable seed most years. Approx 9000 seeds per Kg. |
