The Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) is a species of maplenative to Europeand western Asia. In its native range, the Norway maple may live up to 250 years, but often has a much shorter life expectancy when used on streets whereinsufficient space for its root network can limit its life span. It is a deciduous large tree withbroad, rounded crown. Flowers are bright yellow-green in erected rounded clusters and appear in early spring just before leaves. Bark on young trunks is faintly striped, unlike native maples. The bark of mature Norway maples is grey-brown and shallowly grooved. Unlike many other maples, mature trees do not tend to develop a shaggy bark. The fruit of the Norway mapleis a double samara with two winged seeds.Theleaves are arranged opposite on the branches. They have five lobes withone to three side teeth, and an otherwise smooth margin. The autumn color is usually yellow, occasionally orange-red. William Bartram of Pennsylvania had Norway maple by 1756, but credit for its introduction to North America is attributed usually to 1784 and William Hamilton. As the tree is tolerant of heat and drought it has become widespread thoughout the USA. Its genus name comes from the Latin, Acer, for maple trees. Its species epithet refers to the leaf of the plane tree, Platanus. There are many cultivars of the species.

Specimen Provenance:

Common name: Norway maple, European Maple

Species Origin: SW Asia, Europe

New Jersey Status: USDA Introduced

Habit: Tall tree 80’ – 100’ tall x 70’ wide. Bole 1 -2 ½’ diameter.

Habitat: Zones 4 – 7; mountain woods.

Trunk/Stem: Bark gray, with very regular protruding vertical ridges, neatly furrowed like ash.

Leaves: Deciduous, Simple, Opposite. Palmately lobed and venation, 6” long x 7” wide with five lobes. Blade surface bright green, smooth turning yellow or red in autumn. Long slender petioles exude milky juice when cut.

Flowers: Perfect. Small bright yellow-green borne in conspicuous corymb clusters on long pedicels in early spring before the leaves. Fruit stalks (pedicels) often persist throughout the winter.

Fruits and seeds: Fruit double samara, 2” long; angle between pairs app 120o.

The park has many Norway maples. Marquand Park Specimen: 12, 18,20, 26, 39,50,52, 59, 75, 77, 78, 79, 84, 90, 163, 167, 174, 205, 271, 274, 205, 271, 274, 301, 307, 308, 373, 374, 375, 378, 379,