Norway maple is a deciduous shade tree in the maple family (Sapindaceae) native to northeastern Europe. It was introduced to North America in the 1700s as a shade tree. It is very cold hardy and can be found growing in Alaska. The tree grows 40-50 feet tall or taller and has a similar spread with a rounded crown. It prefers full sun to partial shade and tolerates a wide range of soils as long as they are well-drained and moist. This tree is easy to grow and has been used in urban areas as a shade or street tree. It tolerates heat,cold, drought, urban conditions, and pollution. Cultivars of this tree also freely self-seed. This tree has been labeled as invasive in several northeastern states. It prevents plants from growing under it due to a shallow root system, freely self-seeds and out-competes native trees. Please choose a native maple. See suggestions to the left. Quick ID Hints : opposite leaves 5-lobed with sharp points hairs in axils of veins finely furrowed bark milky sap when leaf stem is broken angle of attachments of the 2 nutlets: a straight line Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: Susceptible to verticillium wilt. Young tree bark may suffer from sun-scald or frost damage. Its canopy is dense and it has shallow roots which make it very challenging to grown anything under the drip line of the tree. It can be especially bothersome planted near sidewalks or walkways as it is messy and it self seeds easily becoming weedy in the landscape. The Clemson Cooperative Extension Home and Garden Information Center has a factsheet on common maple diseases and insect pests. VIDEO created by Ryan Contreras for “Landscape Plant Materials I: Deciduous Hardwoods and Conifers or Landscape Plant Materials II: Spring Flowering Trees and Shrubs” a plant identification course offered by the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University More information on Acer .
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Shallow Rocky
Soil drainage
Good Drainage | Moist | Occasionally Dry
Mature size
Height: 40 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in. | Width: 30 ft. 0 in. - 50 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
High
Canopy layer
1 - Canopy (>40 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Rounded
Texture
Coarse
Foliage
Deciduous
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Opposite
Leaf shape
Palmatifid
Leaf margin
Lobed; Serrate
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, 3-6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
7" across, with 5 sharply pointed lobes that look similar to a sugar maple. Petioles exude milky sap when broken. Fall color is an unremarkable yellow.
Fall color
Gold/Yellow
Flower color
Gold/Yellow; Green; Insignificant
Flower form
Corymb; Insignificant
Flower detail
Not remarkable, appear in spring before the foliage. One of most floriferous maples.
Bloom time
Spring
Fruit color
Brown/Copper
Fruit type
Samara
Fruit size
1-3 inches long
Fruit detail
1.5"-2" long horizontally spreading wings mature September to October.
Bark color
Black; Light Gray
Stem color
Brown/Copper; Gray/Silver; Red/Burgundy
Stem detail
Young stems are reddish brown and smooth. Older stems are gray to brown.
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Northeastern Europe
Wildlife value
Members of the genus Acer support Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis) larvae which have one brood per season and appear from April-October in the south. Adult Imperial Moths do not feed.
Attracts
Butterflies; Moths; Pollinators; Songbirds
Play value
Attracts Pollinators; Pieces Used in Games; Shade; Wildlife Food Source