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Acer - Wall.

Common Name
Family Aceraceae
USDA hardiness 5-9
Known Hazards None known
Habitats Open ravines on shady aspects at altitudes between 2400 - 3300 metres[158].
Range E. Asia - W. Himalayas.
Edibility Rating    (1 of 5)
Other Uses    (2 of 5)
Weed Potential No
Medicinal Rating    (0 of 5)
Care (info)
Fully Hardy Moist Soil Semi-shade Full sun
Acer


Acer

 

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Summary


Physical Characteristics

 icon of manicon of lolypop
Acer is a deciduous Tree growing to 6 m (19ft 8in).
See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 6. It is in flower from April to May. The species is dioecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but only one sex is to be found on any one plant so both male and female plants must be grown if seed is required). . The plant is not self-fertile.
Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and can grow in heavy clay soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers moist soil.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

A. caudatum. Wallich. pro parte.

Plant Habitats

Edible Uses

The leaves are used as a tea substitute[183].

References   More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.


None known

References   More on Medicinal Uses

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Other Uses

The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them[18, 20]. Wood - compact, moderately hard. It is seldom used[158].

Special Uses

References   More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil[1, 11] in a sunny position but tolerates some shade[11, 200]. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Chlorosis can sometimes develop as a result of iron deficiency when the plants are grown in alkaline soils, but in general maples are not fussy as to soil pH. This species is often confused with A. papilio[11]. Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[18, 20]. Dioecious. Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.

References   Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Fahrenheit:

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Plant Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it usually germinates in the following spring. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. It can be slow to germinate. The seed can be harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has dried and produced any germination inhibitors) and sown immediately. It should germinate in late winter. If the seed is harvested too soon it will produce very weak plants or no plants at all[80, 113]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions. Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus. Cuttings of young shoots in June or July. The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter. Good results are usually obtained.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

TROPICAL ASIA: India (Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttar Pradesh), Nepal

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so it’s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants
Latin NameCommon NameHabitHeightHardinessGrowthSoilShadeMoistureEdibleMedicinalOther
Acer acuminatum Tree6.0 5-9  LMHSNM102
Acer argutum Tree8.0 4-8  LMHSNM201
Acer caesium Tree15.0 5-9  LMHSNM013
Acer campestreField Maple, Hedge mapleTree15.0 4-8 FLMHSNM213
Acer carpinifoliumHornbeam MapleShrub10.0 4-7 SLMHSNM201
Acer circinatumVine MapleTree12.0 6-9 SLMHSNM212
Acer crataegifoliumHawthorn-Leaved MapleTree10.0 5-9  LMHSNM001
Acer distylum Tree15.0 6-9  LMHSNM201
Acer ginnalaAmur MapleTree10.0 3-8 FLMHSNM103
Acer glabrumRock Maple, Rocky Mountain maple, Douglas maple, Greene's maple, New Mexico maple, Torrey mapleTree9.0 3-8 SLMHSNM212
Acer interiusBox ElderTree20.0 -  LMHSNM201
Acer macrophyllumOregon Maple, Bigleaf maple, Oregon MapleTree30.0 5-9 FLMHSNM313
Acer monoMapleTree15.0 3-8 SLMHSNM212
Acer negundoBox ElderTree21.0 3-8 FLMHSNM313
Acer oblongum Tree9.0 6-9  LMHSNM003
Acer palmatumJapanese MapleTree8.0 6-8 SLMHSNM201
Acer pectinatumMapleTree10.0 3-6 SLMHSNM002
Acer pensylvanicumMoosewood, Striped maple, Moosewood, Pennsylvania MapleTree4.5 3-7  LMHNM012
Acer platanoidesNorway Maple, Harlequin MapleTree21.0 3-7 FLMHSNM203
Acer pseudoplatanusSycamore, Great Maple, Scottish Maple, Planetree MapleTree30.0 4-7 FLMHSNM214
Acer rubrumRed Maple, Drummond's maple, Swamp MapleTree30.0 4-10 FLMHSNM313
Acer saccharinumSilver Maple, River Maple, Soft MapleTree30.0 3-9 FLMHSNM314
Acer saccharumSugar Maple, Florida Maple, Hard Maple, Rock MapleTree30.0 4-8 SLMHSNM424
Acer saccharum grandidentatumBig-Tooth Maple, Canyon Maple, Rocky Mountain Sugar MapleTree12.0 5-8  LMHSNM403
Acer saccharum nigrumBlack MapleTree25.0 4-6 SLMHSNM412
Acer spicatumMountain MapleTree10.0 3-6 SLMHNM223
Acer sterculiaceum Tree6.0 7-10  LMHSNM002
Acer tataricumTatarian MapleTree9.0 3-7 MLMHSNM201
Acer truncatumShantung Maple, Purpleblow MapleTree8.0 3-8 SLMHSNM101
Acer ukurunduense caudatum Tree20.0 - SLMHSNM103
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Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

 

Expert comment

Author

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Botanical References

11200

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