ExploreTree

Norway Maple

Acer platanoides

The Norway Maple has wide leaves and can grow very tall. It's a popular tree in parks and streets because of its shade!

Habitat: Urban areas and parks

Appearance

The Norway Maple has large, five-lobed leaves with pointed teeth, often a deep green that turns brilliant yellow in autumn. Its bark is smooth and gray when young, becoming furrowed with age, and it produces distinctive helicopter-like seeds.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderSapindalesFamilySapindaceaeGenusAcer

Norway Maple

Interesting facts

Break a leaf stem and you'll see milky white sap, unlike most other maple trees!

Despite its name, it's widely planted around the world, far beyond Norway's borders!

Its seeds are often called 'helicopters' because they spin as they fall to the ground.

The wood of some maples can be used to make musical instruments, like violins!

Special abilities

Norway Maple can release chemicals from its roots that inhibit the growth of nearby competing plants, helping it dominate habitats.

Norway Maple has dense foliage that creates heavy shade, making it difficult for many other plant species to grow underneath its canopy.

Norway Maple has milky white sap that oozes when a leaf stalk is broken, which helps deter some herbivores and insect pests.

Measurements & details

Height: 20-30 m
Canopy Spread: 10-15 m
Is Edible: No
Trunk Diameter: 50-100 cm
Lifespan: 80-150 years
Fruit Type: Winged samara
Growth Rate: Medium
Leaf Type: Deciduous

Ecological connections

eats

Maple Aphid

Drepanosiphum platanoidis

Feeds on the sap from leaves.

symbiotic with

Bicolor Deceiver

Laccaria bicolor

Forms beneficial root associations for nutrient uptake.

pollinates

Western Honey Bee

Apis mellifera

Visits early spring flowers for nectar and pollen.

shelters

Eastern Gray Squirrel

Sciurus carolinensis

Builds nests in branches and uses tree for refuge.

eats

Asian Longhorned Beetle

Anoplophora glabripennis

Larvae bore into wood, causing severe damage.

Traits

Deciduous

Discover the magic of plants that shed all their leaves during a particular season, often putting on a spectacular show of fall colors first. They get ready for a fresh start!

Shade Tolerant

Discover plants that love to live in the shadows, growing beautifully and happily even in spots where the sun doesn't shine all day long.

Broadleaf Tree

Discover magnificent trees that have wide, flat leaves, unlike the needles of pine trees! These are often the trees that change colors beautifully in autumn.

Fall Color

Witness the breathtaking transformation as leaves change from green to brilliant shades of red, orange, and gold before they fall. It's a spectacular natural art show!

Urban Friendly

Spot amazing living things that thrive right alongside us in cities and towns, finding homes in parks, gardens, and even cracks in pavements.

Invasive

Sometimes, plants or animals move to a new place where they don't naturally belong. They can grow so much that they make it hard for the native plants and animals to thrive.