Acer campestre - Field Maple  €8 per plant

Field Maples can be grown as stand alone ornamentals or in light woodlands in shrub form. They take well to pruning and are quite common in northern Europe grown as a hedgerow. Smaller trees typically respond well to regular trimming and shaping too. Field maple is a great tree for biodiversity - attractive to aphids and their predators. Lots of species of moth feed on its leaves. The flowers provide nectar and pollen sources for the birds and the bees and small mammals eat the fruits. To order this plant please contact us [email protected].  

Context

  • native region: Britain, Europe
  • native habitat: Open woodlands and hedgerows 
  • family: Aceraceae

Pest and Predators

  • Field Maples can be susceptible to sycamore gall mite, horse chestnut scale and verticillium wilt.​​

Needs, tolerances 

  • Light: Semi-shade or Full sun
  • soil pH: Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soil and prefers to grow in very alkaline soils
  • USDA Hardiness Zone: 4 - 8
  • Can grow in heavy clay soils
  • ​Can tolerate strong wind
  • Prefers moist soil
  • Can tolerate atmospheric pollution

Known hazards 


  • None known

Overview


  • Deciduous Tree growing to 15 m by 10 m at a fast rate ​
  • It is in flower in May - June
  • Seeds ripen September - October
  • The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant).​
  • Pollinated by insects.
  • Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grown in heavy clay soils
  • Suitable pH: acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very alkaline soils
  • It can grow in semi-shade or full sun.
  •  It prefers moist soil.

Characteristics

  • form: Deciduous Tree
  • layer: Lower canopy
  • habit: Spreading crown
  • height (m): 15

Products & Uses

  • Flowers: Flowers hang in clusters and are relatively small with a cup-shaped, yellow-green appearance.
  • Seeds: Female flowers develop into distinctive winged fruits known as samaras, what we referred to as children as 'helicopters' :)
  • Wood: Field maple produces the hardest, highest-density timber of all European maples., Timber is used for cabinetry, turnery and carving.
  • Leaves: Five lobes, small, green and shiny. Attractive yellow autumn colour.
  • Medicinal: The bark is astringent and slightly anticholesterolemic

Functions, behaviours

  • Hedgerow plant that will tolerate regular pruning 
  • The syrup is used as a sweetener on many foods​
  • Can live up to 400 years
If you would like this plant please send an email to [email protected] with your order. 
Balkan Ecology Project