Acer Platanoides Norway Maple Tree Options
180-240 cm : These are usually 2-3 years old and will be 180-240cm tall depending on weather and time of year purchased. Usually pruned to be Half Standard.
Acer Platanoides Norway Maple
A large, very hardy, fast-growing tree popular in parks and ornamental gardens with a 10-year height of around 12x8 height and spread. Could go on to grow over 20m in height. Spring and Summer foliage are large glossy leaves that turn into yellows and oranges in the Autumn. Lime green flowers provide added interest along with the shiny red/brown Winter buds. The flowers are rich in nectar and pollen so expect to see a lot of wildlife feasting from it.
Being tolerant of shade, it can out-compete nearby trees and could be considered invasive (Don't tell UKIP) and with a dense canopy, plants underneath will struggle.
Although a hardy tree and tolerant of pollution, sea winds are not appreciated and this Norway Maple may protest.
The bark is a grey-brown colour and shallow grooves unlike many of its Maple cousins with distinctive bark features.
As this Norway Maple has shallow roots, be aware that nearby plants will compete for water and nutrients and may come off second best.
Planting Acer Platanoides Norway Maple Tree
Plant in full sun or partial shade position in fertile and well-draining soil in a location that doesn't get below minus 20 degrees centigrade. Acer Platanoides Norway Maple will tolerate most soil conditions to include sand, clay, loam and chalk. If you have a particularly heavy clay soil then consider mixing well-rotted manure or compost into the excavated soil. A ratio of 50:50 will be ideal.
Remove any competing weeds and other plants within 100cm of your Acer Platanoides Norway Maple planting spot. Dig a hole as deep as your pot but break up the bottom 5-10 cm to allow the roots to spread a little easier. The purists will tell you to make the hole square to reduce the chances of the roots spiralling round, this is your choice. Make the hole wider than the pot, this is to follow the same principle as breaking up the bottom. Try and plant so the top of the rootball soil is level with the garden soil as you need to avoid bark that was previously exposed to air being buried. If you go too deep, you can always make the top slightly "dished" by having the outer edges higher than the middle.
Water well after planting, at least 20 litres spread around the whole root system. If planting in Summer, especially long hot ones, regular watering will be important. If the soil is dry for the top 10cm or so, it will be time to water.
Keeping nearby weeds down for the first few seasons will help the young BLANK and this can be achieved with manual removal, mulching, decorative stones, agricultural matting or glyphosate (weed killer).
Pruning Acer Platanoides Norway Maple Tree
Major pruning for this tree should be done between October and December and very light pruning in June. The seasoned gardener may think the dormant period is November to March and start hacking away but the sap starts to rise early Winter hence the specific pruning time frame.
The issue from pruning outside these times is that sap levels are high and bleeding can be an issue. It is always best to prune when you are expecting a few days of dry weather as this aids in the pruning cut healing and reducing the ingress of infection. You should always cut out dead, diseased or crossed over branches in either of the time frames listed.
If you are going to remove a large branch, it is best to do this in stages. This is because you do not want the branch to be cut almost all the way through and for it to then fall and tear the bark off the tree. Removing smaller chunks will reduce the risk of this happening. On the final stage, make your first cut from underneath, this also reduces the risk of bark tearing away.
Somewhere Between Dull And Useful Information About Acer Platanoides Norway Maple Tree
Can live up to 250 years.
Wood is used for furniture, flooring and musical instruments.
Popular for Bonsai.
No good for Maple Syrup production.
Introduced to the UK in the 17th Century.
Not often grown commercially due to grey squirrels stripping the bark.
Tree Jargon Explained
Half Standard: Around 80-100cm clear stem.
Standard: Around 180-200cm clear stem.
Feathered: Branches for most of the trunk/stem length.
Multi-Stem/Bush: Very little or no clear stem. Multiple branching starting low to the ground.
Rootball: Dug from the field with roots intact i.e. no pot.
Pot: Plastic container that the tree was grown in.
Maiden: 1 year tree that has not been pruned.
Pleached: Foliage a square/rectangle flat shape wired to a bamboo frame with some clear stem.
Screen: Same as pleached but much less/no clear stem.
Multiple Order Discount
Orders over £750 for 150cm+ trees might be discounted by contacting us
Ornamental Tree Roots In The Shade e.g. Behind A Fence
It is more important that that foliage (posh term for leaves) receives the sunlight than the roots. So if the canopy of your ornamental tree can sunbathe but the bottom of your tree thinks there has been a nuclear winter then that is ok. You might want to ensure you have good drainage as water and no sun is the start of algae and other such issues.
Early Autumn Leaf Fall
Heat stress, being potted, lack of water, being boxed up for a few days etc can cause early Autumn leaf fall. Once planted, normal service will resume next season.
Do I Need To Stake My Ornamental Tree?
9 out of 10 times the answer will be no, especially if under 200cm tall. However our article on Tree Staking should help guide you.
Climate Change
Climate Change has increased aesthetic foliage issues such as Powdery Mildew, Shothole, Rust, frost damage etc These are not terminal issues and will usually last a season or less. All trees are inspected before being sent out to ensure they are fundamentally healthy and will bounce back.
