Habitat

• hedgerow tree
• native to Europe, Near East and Africa
• a common hedgerow tree in southern England, preferring more alkaline sites there
• zone 5 (possibly 4)

Habit and Form

• small to medium tree
• deciduous
• very round crown, densely branched
• 25' to 35' tall
• often branches very low to the ground
• medium texture
• resembles a miniature Acer platanoides in habit and form

Summer Foliage

• opposite, 3- to 5-lobed leaves, 2" to 4" wide
• uniform dark green color

Autumn Foliage

• colors late (end of October), with Acer platanoides
• can be a good, uniform yellow color

Flowers

• blooms in May
• small, yellow-green flowers in clusters

Fruit

• samaras, 1.25" to 1.75"
• nutlet often pubescent
• pairs of samaras join to form a nearly straight line

Bark

• greyish-black
• shallow ridges and furrows
• resembles that of Acer platanoides

Culture

• adaptable to many soils, including very alkaline, very acid, dry or compacted sites
• withstands air pollution
• tolerates heavy pruning
• easily transplanted
• tolerates urban conditions

Landscape Uses

• excellent for residential areas as a lawn tree
• can be pruned into a hedge (a common use in Europe)
• a good choice for urban sites
• warrants greater use in the landscape

Liabilities

• low branches make mowing difficult
• dense shade can cause turf to struggle
• seed can germinate abundantly

ID Features

• milky sap in petiole, leaf veins
• scaly, brown buds
• leaves smaller than Acer platanoides, with edges that look melted
• young twigs can have corky lines or ridges; this characteristic varies from one individual to the next

Propagation

• by seed

Cultivars/Varieties

None are common in the trade, but several are occasionally seen.

Several have colored leaves, including 'Pulverentum' with variegated foliage, 'Postelense' with leaves that emerge yellow and mature to green, and 'Schwerinii' with new purple foliage that turns green.

Selections with variation in form are more common, with 'Compactum' (also known as 'Nanum') assuming the proportions of an attractive dense shrub only perhaps 6' tall.