Vascular Plants of North Carolina
Section: Common Name: Scientific Name: Family:
Account for Norway Maple - Acer platanoides   L.
Members of Acer with account distribution info or public map:
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Section 6 » Order Sapindales » Family Aceraceae
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AuthorL.
DistributionMountains only, where established in Buncombe, Haywood, and Henderson counties. Collections from Alleghany, Cumberland, Harnett, Jackson, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Orange, Wake, and Watauga counties are all from cultivated or persisting plants.

Native of Europe; in N.A. -- N.S. to Ont. and MN, south to NC, TN; also Pacific Northwest; MT, UT, CO.
AbundanceVery rare as an escaped or established tree.
HabitatHedgerow, old unused lot, roadside.
PhenologyFlowering and fruiting March-May.
IdentificationNorway Maple is a commonly planted tree along city streets, less so planted by individuals in yards. The trees have smooth gray bark and a full, dense crown. Leaves are blocky and closely resemble Sugar Maple (A. saccharum), but the leafstalks bleed white when broken (vs. clear sap), and the flowers occur on ascending pedicels (vs. drooping). Fall color is not as bright as Sugar Maple.
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State RankSE
Global RankGNR
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