GLEBE TREES AND SHRUBS
Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
Leaves
Newly opening leaves. Photo taken on Ralph Ave at Brown's inlet, east side, May 3, 2008.
Photo on right, May 22, 2008.
The definitive test for Norway maple is the white sap seen on breaking the leaf petiole.
The leaves of Norway maple tend to be big, and can be differentiated by the milky juice visible when the
leaf stem is broken. The leaves seem to me to have more of a V-notch than the sugar maple's U-notch.
At Brown's inlet, some new leaves were yellow green, some are olive brown.
Bark
Young Norway maple trunks have a pinstriped look.
Flowers
Queen Elizabeth Place and Ralph, April 28, 2008.
Unfolding flowers of Norway maple.
The topmost flower of the bottom cluster is open, with five spread petals.
In late April, almost every street has the showy yellow blooms of this tree. Note that Norway maple's flowers
differ from the tasseled ones of Manitoba, sugar and silver maple.
April 20, 2009 at Brown's Inlet.
Fruit
Torrington at Broadway, June 14, 2008.
Norway maple is recognizable at a distance at this time of year because of the scattered clusters of bright
and big keys among the leaves. The samaras are among the biggest and have the widest angle, almost 180
degrees.
Buds, tassels from keys
March 19, 2009
March 19, 2009 and April 24, 2009.
These tassels may be those of previous year's keys. Commonly seen.
The buds are deep red and quite chunky, with what looks like three sets of scales.
It can't be seen on the photo, but the leaf scars on either side of a twig almost meet.
Not shown here but noted on March 21 is that there is a sap all over these buds, making them very sticky.
The combination of (usually) regularly striated bark, chunky buds, and tassels 2-3" long
and in sets of 5 or so, allows identification of Norway maple in the early spring.
April 24, 2009. The buds have become swollen and are a rich lustrous brown.
Similar species
List of trees and shrubs with opposite, simple, toothed leaves