+10 species of maples to beautify gardens

There are about 160 varieties of maples in the world, although only a few are marketed. These trees and shrubs have unique characteristics, which make it easy to differentiate them from others. For example, we can talk about its leaves: webbed, with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 7 lobes, which usually change color either in autumn, in spring, or in both seasons; and another is their bearing, since regardless of how high their trunk branches, they will always have a subtle but elegant beauty.

Some, apart from being used to beautify gardens around the world, are also cultivated for other reasons, either for their sap or to help fauna have a refuge where they can protect themselves from the summer heat, since maples are plants that provide a lot of shade.

Acer buergerianum

It is what we know as trident maple, and is a native of China, Japan, and Taiwan. It is called a trident because its leaves are composed of three lobes. It can measure a height of approximately 10 meterswith an often multiple trunk whose bark is brown. It is a very pretty plant, which turns red in autumn before running out of leaves.

country maple

El common maple, which is not less beautiful because it is common, it is native to Europe, Algeria, Asia Minor and Persia. It grows rapidly until it reaches 15 meterswith a crown diameter of 6m. The leaves are simple, opposite, webbed-lobed and green on both sides during spring and summer, and yellow in autumn.

acer ginnala

Its common or popular names are: Russian maple, Amur maple, and Manchurian maple, but its most accepted scientific name is Acer tataricum subsp ginnala; although it is still accepted acer ginnala. It is native to Northeast Asia, where we will find it in Mongolia, Korea, Siberia, and Japan. It is one of the smallest varieties of maples, since it is rare that it exceeds 3-5 meters in height; however, it is important to know that it can measure up to 10 meters. Its leaves are palmately lobed, with 3-5 green lobes, but in autumn they turn reddish.

Acer freemanii

The acer x freemanii it is a hybrid between Acer y Sugar syrup which reaches between 6 and 16 meters in heightdepending on the cultivar, since for example the ‘Armstrong’ can measure more than 15 meters. Even so, we are talking about a tree with a straight bearing, and with a crown formed by leaves that turn red as temperatures begin to drop.

Japanese maple

Known as Japanese plush maple or maple »full moon», It is a tree that grows in Japan and South Korea, reaching a height of between 5 and 15 meters. Its leaves are palmate, with 7-9-13 lobes with a serrated margin. Not to be confused with Maple palmate (common Japanese maple), as this is very difficult to have leaves with more than 7 lobes. Of course, like him, it stars in one of the most beautiful natural spectacles in autumn, as its foliage changes color to red or orange.

Acer monspessulanum

Known as Montpellier maple, is a tree that grows in the Mediterranean region. Reaches a height of 10-15 or rarely 20 meters. Its trunk is straight, with a dark gray bark. Unlike other species, it has the smallest leaves, about 3-6 centimeters, and made up of three lobes that turn reddish during the fall.

acer and gundo

American Maple, or Ash Leaf Maple It also grows rapidly, reaching 15 meters in height and a diameter of 8m. It has compound leaves of 3 to 5 oblong leaflets with toothed edges, bright green on the upper side and dull on the underside. In autumn he dresses in his yellow ball gown.

sharp opal

El oron as it is called, it is a maple that we will find in Europe, including Spain and Italy. Reaches a maximum height of 20 metersalthough there is a subspecies, the Acer opalus subsp garnatensenative to the Balearic Islands (specifically the Sierra de Tramuntana de Mallorca), east of the Iberian Peninsula and North Africa, which is very difficult to exceed 5 meters. In autumn we can enjoy its red foliage.

Maple palmate

The typical Japanese Maple, that is, the Maple palmateIt has a slow growth rate, not so the cultivars, of which I can tell you that even living in a warm Mediterranean climate grow a good 15-20cm / year. It usually reaches 5-7 metersand have webbed leaves of various colors: green, variegated. In autumn they turn red or orange.

The most common varieties are:

• Maple palmatum ‘Atropurpureum’: Known as purple palm maple or dwarf maple, it is a variety that has reddish leaves in spring, greenish in summer and reddish or more vinous again in autumn. It reaches 5-6 meters in height.
• Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’: Said to be an improved variety of Atropurpureum. I have both, I can affirm it. Bloodgood has darker red leaves, and longer.
• Acer palmatum ‘Deshojo’: Deshojo is easy to confuse with Atropurpureum, but it has 5 lobes and a maximum height of 3 meters. See file.
• Acer palmatum ‘Katsura’: it is a variety of small leaves, normally 5-7 lobes, that change color throughout the year: in spring they are orange-yellowish with reddish edges; in summer they are greenish and in autumn bright orange. It grows about 2 meters tall.
• Acer palmatum ‘Osakazuki’: it is a type of Japanese maple that reaches 5 meters in height, and has small leaves, with 7 reddish lobes in spring and especially in autumn, and green in summer. See file.

Acer pseudoplatanus

El Fake banana it is an imposing tree. Its 30 meters high and its 8-10 meters in diameter make it an excellent plant to have as an isolated specimen. in large gardens. Its growth rate is fast, and it has leaves with 5 green lobes, which turn yellow in autumn.

Acer

The sugar maple is a very large tree, so large that it can grow up to 25 meters and have a diameter of 10m. The leaves are simple, palmatifid, with 5-7 sharp and serrated lobes, green in color, except in autumn, which turn reddish as you can see in the image above.

Sugar syrup

Their common names are: sugar maple, silver maple, Canada maple, or American white maple. It is native to the eastern United States and southeastern Canada, and grows between 20 and 30 metersalthough it can reach 40 meters in its natural habitat. The leaves have 5 lobes with deep notches on the edge, and a silver underside. The beam is green, but in autumn its foliage may be more yellow or reddish depending on the conditions of the place.

Acer

El Red maple is very similar to Acerbut it withstands high temperatures somewhat better. Grows to a height of 30 meterswith a diameter of up to 17m. Its leaves are simple, palmate, green in color, except in autumn, which turn a spectacular purple-red.

What is your favorite?