Norway Maple

Acer Platanoides

Family Aceraceae
Notable Features
Leaves: Toothless* leaves have 5 to 7 pointed lobes* with meduim-depth sinuses. Leaves thin, opposite*, smooth and hairless, same color on the top and bottom, and leaf petioles* contain a milky white sap. Leaves are dark crimson in the Crimson King variety.
Twigs/Buds: Twigs smooth and hairless, brown. Buds* found singly on twigs, blunt and rounded, dark red or green.
Bark: Bark a dark grey, with diamond-shaped cross-hatchings in older trees; flattened, not peeling.
Flowers/ Keys: Light colored flowers appear in the spring (March through April) in clusters standing upright from the stem. Maple keys* appear May through June, 1 to 2 inches (2-5 centimeters) long, flattened and in nearly horizontal pairs.
Size/Shape: A large deciduous*, non-native tree, ranges from 40 to 70 feet (12-21 meters) in height when mature.
Location on Campus

(click for map)
Norway Maples are exotic* trees, and are used ornamentally over most of campus, including near the Main Gate. Also watch for the King Crimson variety of the Norway Maple planted near the front of Spingold Theatre.
Uses
As with all other maples, the sap can be boiled to a fine syrup, or can be used unreduced as a substitute for sweetened water in which to brew tea.
Except where specifically noted, all text, photographs, and drawings copyright Chris Bersbach and Lisa Leombruni 2002. No part of this page may be reproduced without the express permission of the authors.