Acer campestre, known as the field maple,
Description
It is a
deciduous tree reaching tall, with a trunk up to in diameter, with finely fissured, often somewhat corky bark. The shoots are brown, with dark brown winter
. The
leaf are in opposite pairs, long (including the petiole) and broad, with five blunt, rounded lobes with a smooth margin. Usually
monoecious, the
are produced in spring at the same time as the leaves open, yellow-green, in erect clusters across, and are insect-pollinated. The
fruit is a samara with two winged
aligned at 180°, each achene is wide, flat, with a wing.
The two varieties, not accepted as distinct by all authorities, are:
-
Acer campestre var. campestre - downy fruit
-
Acer campestre var. leiocarpum (Opiz) Wallr. (syn. A. campestre subsp. leiocarpum) - hairless fruit
The closely related Acer miyabei replaces it in eastern Asia.
Distribution
The
native plant range of field maple includes much of Europe, including Denmark, Poland and Belarus, England north to southern Scotland (where it is the only native maple), southwest Asia from Turkey to the Caucasus, and north Africa in the Atlas Mountains.
[Rushforth, K. (1999). Trees of Britain and Europe. Collins .][Mitchell, A. F. (1974). A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins ][Euro+Med Plantbase Project: Acer campestre ][Flora of NW Europe: Acer campestre][Den virtuella floran: Acer campestre distribution map] In many areas, the original native range is obscured by widespread planting and introductions.
In North America it is known as
hedge maple and in Australia, it is sometimes called
common maple.[Department of Agriculture, Western Australia: Pests and Diseases Image Library ] In
Nottinghamshire, England it was known locally as
dog oak.
Ecology
Field maple is an intermediate species in the ecological succession of disturbed areas; it typically is not among the first trees to colonise a freshly disturbed area, but instead seeds in under the existing vegetation. It is very shade-tolerant during the initial stages of its life, but it has higher light requirements during its seed-bearing years. It exhibits rapid growth initially, but is eventually overtaken and replaced by other trees as the forest matures. It is most commonly found on neutral to
, but more rarely on
acidic soil.
Diseases include a leaf spot fungus Didymosporina aceris, a mildew Uncinula bicornis, a canker Nectria galligena, and verticillium wilt Verticillium alboatrum. The leaves are also sometimes damaged by Eriophyidae in the genus Aceria, and the aphid Periphyllus villosus.
Cultivation
The field maple is widely grown as an
ornamental tree in parks and large gardens. The
wood is white, hard and strong, and used for furniture, flooring,
wood turning and musical instruments,
though the small size of the tree and its relatively slow growth make it an unimportant wood.
It has an OPALS rating of 7.
It is locally naturalised in parts of the United States[ Trans. and Proc. Roy. Soc. New Zealand 36: 203-225 Plants naturalised in the County of Ashburton]
The hybrid maple Acer × zoeschense has A. campestre as one of its parents.
The tree has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Cultivars
Over 30
of
Acer campestre are known, selected for their foliage or habit, or both; several have been lost to cultivation.
-
'Carnival'
-
'Commodore'
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'Compactum'
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'Eastleigh Weeping'
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'Elegant'
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'Elsrijk'
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'Evenly Red'
-
'Fastigiatum'
-
'Green Weeping'
-
'Leprechaun'
-
'Lienco'
-
'Marjolein'
-
'Nanum'
-
'Pendulum'
-
'Postelense'
-
'Pulverulentum'
-
'Punctatissimum'
-
'Puncticulatum'
-
'Queen Elisabeth'
-
'Red Shine'
-
'Royal Ruby'
-
'Ruby Glow'
-
'Schwerinii'
-
'Senator'
-
'Silver Celebration'
-
'Silver Dawn'
-
'Streetwise'
-
'Tauricum'
-
'Tomentosum'
-
'William Caldwell'
-
'Zorgvlied'
Bonsai
Acer campestre (and the similar
A. monspessulanum) are popular among
bonsai enthusiasts. The dwarf cultivar 'Microphyllum' is especially useful in this regard.
A. campestre bonsai have an appearance distinct from those selected from some other maples such as
Japanese Maple with more frilly,
translucence, leaves. The shrubby habit and smallish leaves of
A. campestre respond well to techniques encouraging ramification and leaf reduction.
==Gallery==
Further reading
