Norway Maple

Norway Maple (Acer platanoides) is a large deciduous shade tree, reaching about 12m tall and 8m across, with a dense rounded canopy that turns clear yellow in autumn. Clusters of yellow green flowers open on bare wood in early spring, before the leaves. It is undemanding and hardy, but the shade is heavy and the surface roots spread, so it needs open ground.

Why you'll love it

• Deep, reliable summer shade. The canopy is dense enough to cool a lawn or a driveway properly, and it drops in autumn to let the winter sun back in.
• Yellow autumn colour. The whole tree turns at once, and the display is strongest where winters are genuinely cold.
• Flowers before the leaves. Yellow green clusters on bare branches in early spring, one of the first signs of the season in a cold garden.
• Very little asked of you. Frost hardy, wind tolerant, drought tolerant once established and content on poor soil.

Where it works best

Shade trees on large blocks. Allow 8m of clear space all round. Keep it well away from paving, drains and pipes, because the roots run near the surface.

Driveways and avenues. Plant 8m to 10m apart in a line for a closed canopy over a long drive, or use a matched pair to frame an entrance.

Feature planting. One tree in a lawn gives shape in summer and colour in autumn. Do not plan on a garden bed underneath, since little grows in that shade.

Growing Norway Maple in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun and open ground, in cool temperate and warm temperate gardens. Cold winters produce the best colour, so in warmer temperate districts expect a duller yellow and a later turn. It is not a tree for the subtropics or tropics.

Soil. Tolerant of most soils, including poor and compacted ground, provided drainage is reasonable. Mulch 75mm deep out towards the drip line, kept off the trunk.

Water and feed. Deep soak weekly through the first two summers, then it manages on rainfall in most seasons. A complete slow release fertiliser each spring speeds the early years.

Pruning. Prune in late summer or autumn rather than spring, because maples bleed sap heavily when the tree is waking up. Set the structure early: one leader, well spaced branches, no tight forks.

What to expect when it arrives

Four sizes are grown. The 300mm and 400mm pots are young whips, the economical way to plant an avenue. The 45L and 100L trees are advanced stock with real height and a formed head on day one.

Deciduous trees are often dispatched bare of leaves through winter, which is normal and the best time to plant. Expect a quiet first season, then steady growth of half a metre or more a year on good ground. Delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95 and a minimum order of $300 before delivery. Advanced and large stock is freighted at cost, and every plant carries our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Compare varieties in the deciduous tree range.
• Consider Norway Maple 'Crimson Sentry' for deep purple foliage at about 7m.
• See the wider autumn colour collection.
• Read about the best canopy trees for creating shade.

Common questions

How far from the house and pipes should I plant it?

At least 10m from a house, and further from paving, drains and services. The roots are shallow and spreading, so they lift paths and compete hard with anything planted nearby.

Will it colour well in a warm garden?

Only partly. It needs a genuinely cold winter for a strong yellow, so in warm temperate districts the turn is later, duller and briefer. Cold inland and highland gardens get the best of it.

Does it self seed?

It can, in cooler districts, where the winged seeds germinate readily in garden beds and along fence lines. Seedlings pull out easily while young, but keep an eye on it near bushland.