The high esteem of maple species as house and avenue trees or hedge shrubs is based primarily on the furious autumn colors of their shapely leaves. Less well known is what happens in the treetops during flowering. This information will familiarize you with interesting details about the maple blossom.
Depending on the variety, the blossom of the maple varies
Maple blossom - subtle beauty in spring
Anyone who, as a gardener who loves nature, is looking for beauty in the details will find what they are looking for in the maple tree. Fragrant blossoms appear long before the autumnal color spectacle of the leaves begins. Their subtle appearance belies the fact that maple blossoms are a valuable source of nectar and pollen in the garden. This is how the most popular maple species bloom:
- Norway maple (Acer platanoides): in April with yellowish-green terminal panicles in front of the leaves
- Sycamore maple (Acer pseudoplatanus): in April and May with yellow-green flower clusters, at the same time or after the leaves sprout
- Field maple (Acer campestre): in May with 10-20 yellowish panicles simultaneously on the leaves
Maple species that have immigrated to Europe put on a more conspicuous flower dress. Fire maple (Acer ginnala) scores in May with white-yellow, 4 to 6 cm wide umbrella clusters that smell seductively. Asian slotted maple (Acer palmatum) and its magnificent varieties inspire in May and June with 6-8 mm wide flowers in cymes. The contrasts between the cream-colored petals and the reddish sepals are beautiful to look at.
Red and silver maple herald the flowering period
While native maple species are still hibernating, the first yellowish-green to slightly reddish flowers are already sprout on the North American silver maple (Acer saccharinum). A short time later, red maple (Acer rubrum) dons its dark red blossoms. The flowers gather in dense clusters on the lateral branches, much to the delight of the first insects.
tips
When the pretty, fragrant flowers of the sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus) are pollinated and withered, it becomes dangerous for horses and donkeys. The winged fruits contain the deadly neurotoxin hypoglycine A. Scientists from the University of Utrecht have been able to prove that the dreaded willow myopathy is due to the consumption of sycamore seeds.