field maple

Acer campestre

Facts

Why not download our field maple fact sheet?

field maple fact sheet

• Often shrub-like in hedges
   
• Can grow up to 20m tall
   
• Hard green-brown, fissured bark
   
• Leaves in April in opposite pairs, on a leaf stalk with milky sap
   
• The lobed leaves show striking autumn colours and are much smaller than the related sycamore
   
• Paired, winged fruits, like helicopter blades, are yellow-green tinged with crimson
   

Where found

Found naturally in lowland England and Wales.
 

When to look for

• Flowers and leaves appear together April
   
• Leaves drop in November
  

Fabulous field maple facts

• The only native maple in the British Isles
  
  
• The leaves  produce a honeydew that attracts white hairstreak butterflies
  
  
• In Alsatian folklore, branches of field maple around the house ensured protection against bats
  
  
• Popular among bonsai enthusiasts, being easy to grow, with small leaves and good autumn colour
  
  
• The wood was valued for its fine grain and used for wood turning and high quality carving

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