Acer platanoides
Common Name: Norway maple
Family: Aceraceae

INVASIVE

Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Plant is Native to: Europe. Hardy to Zone 3.
Plant Height at maturity: 40 to 60 feet tall, but can reach 90 feet.
Plant Habit and Form: Deciduous shade tree, medium to large. Rounded crown, dense branching. Often grows wider than tall when grown in open space. Rapid growth when young. Medium coarse texture.
Foliage: Opposite leaf, 5 lobes, 4 to 7 inches across. Uniform dark green color. Milky sap where petiole is broken. Fall color is late (October), uniform yellow.

Leaf of Acer platanoides
Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Leaf of Acer platanoides 'Crimson King'

Simsbury, CT

Bark: Grayish black, with shallow ridges and furrows.
Flower: Numerous, small yellow-green flowers in May. Can be showy.

Goshen, CT

Fruit/Seed: Green to brown samaras, 1 ½ to 2" long.

Samara of Acer platanoides 'Crimson King' Simsbury, CT

Growing Requirements: Adaptable to many soils. Prefers full sun. Easily transplanted. Tolerant of urban growing conditions.
Problems and Drawbacks: Considered invasive in Connecticut. Creates very dense shade which kills out turf. Grows too large for residential landscapes. Has shallow root system which damages sidewalks. Can be prone to bark splitting. Seeds freely, resulting in numerous seedling trees. Susceptible to verticillium wilt.
Special Uses: Shade tree for large spaces such as parks, industrial parks, large properties.
ID Tips/Remarks: Milky sap in petiole and leaf veins. Has large, plump green-maroon buds, compared with Acer pseudoplatanus which are always green. Leaves are larger than those of Acer campestre and broader than those of Acer saccharum.
Bibliography: http://www.hort.uconn.edu/Plants/a/acepla/acepla1.html