Virginia Tech Dendrology

Norway maple Aceraceae Acer platanoides L. symbol: ACPL
Leaf: Opposite, simple, palmately-veined, 5 to 7 lobed with long pointed teeth", dark green above, paler below; exudes milky white sap from the petiole when detached. A purple (nearly black) leaf variety known as Crimson King is widely planted.
Flower: Species is dioecious; bright yellow-green in color and somewhat showy, appearing in the spring before the leaves.
Fruit: Widely divergent 2-winged samaras, 1 1/2 to 2 inches long in clusters, relatively flat seed cavity, mature in late summer and persist into the winter.
Twig: Stout, brown with a large, turban-shaped buds that are initially green maturing to purple.
Bark: Gray-brown, a bit corky, on older trees shallowly furrowed with long narrow, somewhat interlacing ridges.
Form: Medium sized tree to 80 feet tall, usually with a dense rounded crown.
Looks like: sugar maple - black maple - Florida maple - Shantung maple

Additional Range Information: Acer platanoides is planted in the USDA hardiness zones shown above and may seed into the landscape. Download the full-size PDF map.
More Information: Fall Color
External Links: USDAFS FEIS Silvics - USDA Plants Database - Horticulture Information
All material 2025 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information