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Field Maple

Acer campestre

Shade treeDeciduousFrost Hardy

Field maple is a native, medium-sized European tree with small three- to five-lobed leaves, corky ridges on the twigs and long-lasting yellow autumn colour. It tolerates heat, dry soils and pruning, which makes it suitable both as a small shade tree and as a hedge, and its flowers are a bee pasture.

Overview

Height10–15 m
Crown diameter7–15 m
Root systemHeart-rooted
ShadeMedium shade
SunPartial Shade
WaterLow
HardinessUSDA zones 5–8

Seasons

Flowering (Central Europe)Apr, May

Planting time for bare-root trees. Container trees can be planted whenever the soil is workable.

Companion Planting

Good Companions

None

Bad Companions

None

Only relations with a documented cause are listed.

Toxicity

SeverityNon-toxic

Listed as not toxic (as a rule) by the nursery data sheet; no ASPCA entry for Acer campestre was found.

Planting Tips

LocationSun to partial shade (a semi-shade-tolerant species); wind-firm and tolerant of urban and partly sealed sites.
SoilAll soil types except dry, poor sands; copes with heavy clay and calcareous soils, tolerates brief flooding.
WateringHas intermediate drought resistance once established; water young trees in dry periods.
FertilizingNo species-specific fertiliser requirement documented in the sources used.

Care Tip: Tolerates hard pruning (hedges), but cut outside the early-spring sap flow period. Generally low susceptibility to pests and diseases.

Sources