# Norway maple (Acer platanoides)

> A dense, rounded shade tree with broad five-lobed leaves whose stalks ooze milky sap when broken, gold flower clusters before the leaves, flat-winged seeds and dull yellow fall color. Purple-leaved 'Crimson King' is the familiar form. Planted by the millions after Dutch elm disease because it tolerates pollution and compacted soil, it now seeds into northeastern and midwestern woodlands, where its deep shade and shallow roots crowd out native maples and wildflowers. Several states and Ontario list it as invasive and sale is banned in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and (from 2030) Connecticut.

Source: https://treerm.org/trees/acer-platanoides · Updated 2026-11-08 · License CC BY 4.0

## Facts

- Also called: Harlequin maple
- Family: Sapindaceae
- Type: Broadleaf, drops leaves
- Mature height: 15 m; spread 12 m
- Growth: Medium growth; lives about 60 years
- USDA hardiness zones: 3 to 7
- Light: Sun or part shade
- Water: Moderate water
- Soil: Tolerates clay, loam, rocky and compacted soils; prefers moist, well-drained ground
- Native range: Native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia, from Spain and southern Scandinavia east to Russia and northern Iran.

**Benefits:** Shade, Fall color, Drought tolerant

**Good for:** Street tree, Yard shade

**Watch out for:** Invasive elsewhere, Surface roots, Weak wood, Pest prone, Short lived

## Care

Not recommended for new planting where it is listed. Existing trees: expect girdling roots, verticillium wilt, tar spot, frost cracks and bare ground beneath the canopy. Remove seedlings while small; cut stumps resprout and should be treated.

## Where it stands

- **Native:** Germany (Native to Europe and western Asia.)
- **Invasive:** ON, Canada (Listed as an invasive plant by the Ontario Invasive Plant Council.); MA, United States (Rated Invasive by the Massachusetts Invasive Plant Advisory Group and banned from sale under the state Prohibited Plant List.); MN, United States (Specially Regulated Noxious Weed in Minnesota; sellers must label it with a management plan.); NY, United States (Regulated invasive species under 6 NYCRR Part 575 (may be sold but not introduced into a free-living state).); PA, United States (On Pennsylvania DCNR's invasive plant fact sheet list.); VA, United States (Virginia DCR Invasive Plant Species List, Medium invasiveness rank.)
- **Prohibited:** CT, United States (On the Connecticut Invasive Plant List as Invasive; sale and movement prohibited by statute effective October 2030.); NH, United States (On New Hampshire's prohibited invasive species list (Agr 3800): cannot be sold, transported, propagated or planted.)
- **Recommended:** Denver, CO, United States (On the Denver Office of the City Forester Approved Street Tree List)

## Sources

- https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/acer-platanoides/
- https://plants.usda.gov/plant-profile/ACPL
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acer_platanoides
- https://www.mda.state.mn.us/plants-insects/minnesota-noxious-weed-list
- https://cipwg.uconn.edu/invasive_plant_list/
- https://gc.nh.gov/rules/state_agencies/agr3800.html
- https://extapps.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/isprohibitedplants2.pdf
- https://www.massnrc.org/mipag/invasive.htm
- https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dcnr/conservation/wild-plants/invasive-plants/invasive-plant-fact-sheets.html
- https://www.dcr.virginia.gov/natural-heritage/document/nh-invasive-plant-list-2024.pdf
- https://www.ontarioinvasiveplants.ca/invasive-plants/species/norway-maple/