Field maple

Profile

Family

Aceraceae

Habit

Tree

Height

15 m

Spread

10 m

Growth

very fast

Lifespan

200 years

First yield

after 10 years

Hardiness

zone 4–7

Shade tolerance

partial shade

Soil

Sand, Silt, Loam, Clay

Soil moisture

semi-dry – very wet

pH

5.6 – 7.6

Flowering & harvest

Times apply to the northern hemisphere in a temperate climate and shift with altitude and cultivar.

Uses

Edible: The sap contains sugar and can either be consumed as a beverage or boiled down to syrup by evaporating the water. The sugar concentration is significantly lower than that of the sugar maple (Acer saccharum). The syrup is used as a sweetener for many foods. The trunk is tapped in early spring, since the sap flows best on warm, sunny days after the last frost. The best sap yield is achieved in regions with cold winters and a continental climate.

Medicinal: The bark is astringent and mildly cholesterol-lowering. A decoction has been used for bathing irritated eyes. The bark should be sun-dried and then stored dry until use.

Other uses: The leaves are placed around apples, root vegetables etc. to preserve them. The fast-growing plant tolerates cutting well and is excellent as a formal hedge. It can also be used as part of a naturalistic hedge, where it is only cut every three to four years. It is also used in topiary. The wood is fine-grained, tough, elastic, hard to split, takes a good polish and is rarely attacked by insects. The trees are seldom large enough to yield much usable timber, but when available it is highly valued by joiners. It is also used for cups, bowls etc. The root wood is often knotty and is valued for small joinery work. The wood is an excellent fuel. Charcoal made from the wood is a good fuel.

Growing

Field maple is easy to cultivate and prefers a good, moist, well-drained soil in a sunny position, but tolerates some shade. It thrives on chalky soils and tolerates a pH of up to 8, although it then grows in a shrubby form. On soils with a pH significantly below 6 it does not grow well. It also copes well on heavy clay soils. It is tolerant of air pollution. Once established, the trees grow rapidly, but then slow down and reach their full size after about 50 years. It is often found as a shrub in light woodlands, particularly under oaks. It is one of the first trees to colonise chalk grassland. Field maple is a poor companion tree, as it inhibits the growth of neighbouring plants. It is a good bee plant. In the past, this species was commonly managed as coppice for its wood. The trees mature about 10 years after sowing to produce seed.

Propagation

Seed – best sown directly after ripening in a cold frame; germination usually occurs in the following spring. Soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2–4 months at 1–8°C. Germination may be delayed. The seed can be harvested 'green' (fully developed but not yet dried out and without germination inhibitors) and sown immediately. Germination then takes place in late winter. If the seeds are harvested too early, only very weak or no plants will grow. Once the seedlings are large enough, prick out into individual pots and grow on to a height of at least 20 cm before planting out into their final positions. Propagation by layers, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus. Alternatively, cuttings of young shoots can be taken in June or July. The cuttings should have 2–3 pairs of leaves and a pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin sliver of bark at the base of the cutting. Rooting is improved by using a rooting hormone. The rooted cuttings must show new growth in summer before being potted on, otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter.

Origin & habitat

Europe, including Britain, from Sweden to Spain and east to Western Asia and the Caucasus.

Open deciduous woodlands, hedgerows and thickets, mostly on basic soils.

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