The Maple of Love It is one of those trees that look great in gardens, and also in pots because they tolerate pruning very well. But how do you take care of this spectacular plant? What do you need to look perfect all year round?
We will spend some time talking about this species of maple so that you can enjoy its beauty, in addition to its shade, whenever you want. Are you going to miss it?
Characteristics of the Love Maple
The Maple of Love is scientifically known by the name of Acer tataricum subsp. ‘ginnala’although it is also often written Acer ginnala. Another more accepted common name is Amur maple, or Amur maple. It belongs to the Sapindaceae family. It grows to a height of approximately 5 meters, and can reach up to 10m if the growing conditions are very favourable. Its trunk measures about 3m in diameter, so this is a maple that is ideal to have in medium to large gardens. Its leaves are simple, about 6-10cm long, palmetto, and deciduous, which means that they fall in autumn-winter.
In spring it fills with flowers, which are greenish yellow about 6mm in diameter and, when pollinated, produce the fruit which is a reddish winged samara about 2cm long that will finish maturing in summer. moment that we can take advantage of to stratify them.
Cultivation and care of the Amur Maple
Maple of love beginning to fall
Now that we know what a love maple looks like, it’s time to know its care. Well this is a very rustic treewhich tolerates intense frosts down to -20ºC without problem; But when you want to have it in a warm climate, it will not be able to grow so well, because unfortunately it does not tolerate temperatures above 30ºC.
You will also need cool, deep, well-drained soil with a low pH (between 4 and 6). In the case that it is clayey, it is preferable to plant it in a pot with acidic substrate (or better yet, mixing 70% akadama with 30% kanuma) since otherwise its leaves would start to look chlorotic due to the lack of iron.
It will be located in an area where it can be exposed to the sun directly, or in semi-shade as long as it is a very bright corner, and We will water it between 3 and 4 times a week in summer and 2-3 the rest of the year. For it to grow healthy, it is highly recommended to add liquid guano to the irrigation water, following the specifications indicated on the container. If you need to prune it, do it in springbefore the leaves sprout.
In this way, you will have a healthy and spectacular Love Maple.
What do you think?
