Settle Wildflowers 128: Norway Maple, Field Maple and Sycamore in flower

Norway Maple

Norway Maple 12 April 2024

Norway Maple 12 April 2024

26 April

Norway Maple Flower 26 April

The only two Norway maple fruit I found - much magnified.

#SettleWildflowers Days 23,24,25 Acers in flower: Norway Maple, Field Maple and Sycamore. All three trees have palmate leaves.

The Norway Maple has leaves that have points that are very pointed. It was introduced to the UK in the 17th c.
The picture here is in the Millennium Garden, looking up Kirkgate.
There were lots of flowers on the 11th April. I revisited on the 25th and discovered nearly all the flowers had fallen off, leaving the stalks behind.. Maybe with all the rain there were not enough insects to pollinate them.

The Field Maple has smaller leaves than the other two and the points are the most rounded. It is native in Britain, at least in the South of England. Up till 1970 we were at its main northern limit where it was common. However it has been planted a lot since then further north. https://plantatlas2020.org/atlas/2cd4p9h.yah

Both the field Maple and the Norway Maple have trunks with bark that has ridges, The ridges on the Norway Maple are especially narrow and parallel and long.


Sycamore has big leaves, but they are not "Extremely" pointed as in the Norway Maple. Sycamore was introduced to this country in Tudor times in the 15th an 16th C. (but there are one or two records from Roman times). Its bark comes off in big flakes. It spreads by itself readily in our area.
http://www.mikepalmer.co.uk/woodyplantecology/sycamore/greatbritain.htm

Field Maple

Field Maple in Bond Lane Play area near school 

Sycamore

Early Sycamore flowers 11 April on my tree that I say does not come into leaf until 16 April - so it was five days early this year.. but since the 18th it has been cold and frosty some nights  so things are slowing down (26 April).
(NB Up at Malham Tarn on 27 April the Sycamore buds were very big but still had not broken - but we have had a week of cold weather.

Other Acers

Copper Norway Maple -or ornamental Acer - No flowers -  Langcliffe churchyard. 26 April

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Below : some flowers of other trees at this time.. to be written about later maybe.