Acer platanoides : The Norway Maple But when it is a matter of baobabs, that always means a catastrophe.-The Little Prince The image of three trees engulfing a planet is wild and unthinkable, but a scenario that is not that different is happening. Hundreds of invasive plants are taking over the globe. One of them, The Norway Maple, is much like the baobab. It seems to be a benign shade tree but it easily out-competes almost any species. Ignore it and it will spread and take over the environment, much like the baobab took over this small planet. Here is some information about The Norway Maple, the problems it poses and what is being done about it, after all, we don’t want a planet looking like this… Appearance: Height: Reproduction: Native region: Common uses: Common pests: The leaves have five lobes and give a milky sap when broken. The crown is twiggy and gives dense shade. Has a greenish lower. Spread can be greater than height in open areas feet, can be up to 90 Wind born seeds called samaras, vegetative Europe and West Asia Shade trees, street trees, ornamentals Verticillium wilt, anthracnose, leaf scorch The Problems: Lack of information- Although ecologists and regulatory firms are increasingly recognizing The Norway Maple as an invasive species the general public does not know. It was originally introduced and sold as a street and shade tree, and later several attractive cultivars were developed making it a popular tree for human use. Today nurseries still sell The Norway Maple and its cultivars widely without stressing the importance of proper management for the tree. Accordingly it is still planted as a shade tree and migrates from there into neighboring ecosystems. Human aid and cultivation has exacerbated the problem. Strong competitor- The Norway Maples a successful competitor and is often able to beat out local flora. It casts a dense shade under which very few plants can survive. Its saplings can survive in dense shade and grow more quickly in sun. It can tolerate a wide range of soil pHs and types, and is highly pollution tolerant, giving it an added edge in urban environments. It also has a milky substance in its leaves which deters insects from eating it. Reproductive Methods- The Norway Maple, like any plant, can reproduce sexually or vegitatively. In sexual reproduction it produces wind-born seeds which are easily spread and hard to contain. Animals also assist in

the dispersal of these seeds. A The Norway Maple that has been cut reproduce vegitatively, sending up sprouts, a kind of life after death. It is hard to handle the volume of sprouts that may come up from the root system of a cut tree. With its method of reproduction The Norway Maple is easily spread to new ecosystems that cannot handle it. With its tendency to suppress other plants and its ability to heavily seed an area The Norway Maple threatens to turn diverse ecosystems into homogenous, densely shaded stands. Control: It is too late to try to stop The Norway Maple from invading, it did so long ago. The task at hand is to slow or even stop the invasion. Several large scale methods are effective in accomplishing this. Norway Maples are commonly girdled to kill them and prevent sprouting. Girdling kills both the crown and the root. It is a process in which the cambium (living tissue) is severed in the trunk, stopping the transfer of water and nutrients. Its benefits are that it is effective when used on Norway Maples and it involves neither bio nor chemical control (both of which have undesirable side effects). In addition to girdling trees can be treated with herbicide (either foliage or root), cut burned in a controlled burn, pulled as saplings, or any combination of these measures. What You Can Do: The Norway Maple is not an evil or innocuous plant, it just doesn’t belong in the North American ecosystem. The best thing you can do is refrain from purchasing or planting one If you want a Maple consider a native tree like the Sugar Maple, or the Red Maple. Native trees will be better for the environment and better for your landscape. If you happen to already have one and do not wish to remove it steps can be taken to limit its spread to the ecosystem. Rake the fallen seeds and prune the attached ones and mulch them of dispose of them so they cannot germinate. Finally, spread the word, inform others of the problems with The Norway Maple. Some states have formally identifies The Norway Maple as a very invasive species, some have classified it as a potentially invasive species and some have not recognized it yet. It has demonstrated its invasive capabilities, however and steps should be taken anywhere it is not native to ensure it does not get a foothold in more states. The key is information. Sources: Acer platanoides. Acer platanoides cultivation notes. Control of Invasive non-native plants. Norway Maple. Welcome to my little asteroid.