Field Maple
Acer campestre
The Field Maple (Acer campestre) is the only maple species native to the British Isles and one of the most familiar small trees of the European hedgerow and countryside. Compact, tough, and shade-tolerant, it is a modest tree that rarely achieves the stature of its larger maple cousins but more than compensates with its wildlife value, hardiness, and adaptability to difficult sites.
• Typically reaches 10 to 15 meters tall, occasionally to 20 meters in ideal conditions
• The smallest of the European maple species
• A classic component of mixed hedgerows and field boundaries across Europe
• Leaves are smaller and more rounded than other maples, with blunt lobes
• Produces showy, corky bark wings on younger branches
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• Ranges from southern Scandinavia and the British Isles south to the Mediterranean, east to the Caucasus and northern Iran
• Also found in parts of northwestern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia)
• Found at elevations from sea level to approximately 1,200 meters
• One of the most common hedgerow trees in England and western Europe
• Present in Britain since at least the early Holocene; a true native species
• Described by Linnaeus in 1753
Bark:
• Gray-brown to brown, developing a network of fine fissures and ridges with age
• Young branches often develop distinctive corky wings or ridges (a key identification feature)
Leaves:
• Opposite, palmately lobed with 5 rounded, blunt lobes, 5 to 10 cm wide
• Dark green above, paler and slightly hairy beneath
• Fall color is a clear, golden yellow to warm amber
• Smaller and more rounded than other European maples
Fruit:
• Paired samaras arranged in pendulous clusters, 2 to 3 cm long
• Wings spreading at approximately 180 degrees (flat)
Size:
• Typically 10 to 15 meters tall, occasionally reaching 20 meters
• Trunk diameter typically 30 to 60 cm
• A classic hedgerow species, providing nesting sites, food, and shelter for birds and small mammals
• Leaves support numerous insect species, including aphids, moths, and butterflies
• Flowers are an important nectar and pollen source for bees and other pollinators in spring
• Seeds are eaten by finches, tits, and small mammals
• Tolerant of grazing, pollarding, and hedgerow management
• Slow-growing and shade-tolerant, persisting as an understory tree in mixed woodlands
• Root system helps stabilize hedgerow banks and field boundaries
• Frequently grows alongside hawthorn, blackthorn, and hazel in mixed hedgerows
• Widespread and common throughout its extensive European range
• Populations are stable across most countries
• Hedgerow removal and agricultural intensification have caused some local declines
• Protected in several European countries under hedgerow and woodland regulations
• Hardy in USDA zones 5 to 8
• Highly adaptable to a wide range of soils including chalk, clay, and heavy loam
• Tolerant of drought, exposure, and urban pollution
• Full sun to deep shade — one of the most shade-tolerant maples
• Slow to moderate growth rate of 20 to 40 cm per year
• Excellent for hedging; responds well to clipping and can be maintained at 1 to 3 meters
• Can also be grown as a small specimen tree with an attractive natural form
• Very low maintenance once established
• Good choice for wildlife gardens and native plantings
Hedging:
• One of the best native European species for mixed hedgerows
• Responds well to regular trimming, forming a dense, wildlife-friendly hedge
• Traditionally used in laid hedgerows across England and France
Wood:
• Hard, dense, fine-grained wood valued for turning, carving, and musical instruments
• Traditionally used for making violin backs and harps
• Excellent firewood due to its density
Ornamental:
• Cultivars such as 'Elsrijk' and 'Queen Elizabeth' are planted as street trees
• Valued for compact size, tolerance of difficult sites, and golden fall color
• Occasionally used for bonsai due to its small leaves and willingness to back-bud
재미있는 사실
The Field Maple is the only maple truly native to the British Isles. Its wood is so hard and dense that it was historically the preferred material for making the backs of harps and for medieval turnery. In the English countryside, ancient hedgerow specimens of Field Maple can be found that are estimated to be over 500 years old, having survived centuries of hedgerow management.
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