Field maple Acer campestre
 
Family: Sapindaceae - Maple family  
Flowering:  March to May
Fruit fall  September-October
 
 
Field maple is our only native member of the Sapindaceae, but we also have the sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus from continental Europe, probably introduced in the sixteenth century  and now our most widely distributed tree.1. The Norway maple Acer platanoides is also well established in the countryside and is planted in gardens, where it generally grows too large for comfort.  There are many horticultural species and varieties of Acer available to the gardener, many with spectacular autumn colours. Field maple is not a particularly garden-worthy specimen tree, but it is well worth including in a mixed-species hedge. The leaves are prominently palmate in shape with 3 to 5 lobes and could only be confused with those of the larger sycamore and Norway maple.
History and uses
 
Field maple was first recorded as the common lesser maple by Thomas Johnson “The Father of British field botany" in 1632.2.  It has a number of regional names, maplin-tree, cat-oak, whitty-bush and spinning jenny – after the helicopter action of the spinning samara seeds when shed. These seeds or “keys” are also known as money-in-both-pockets, haskets and lady’s lockets.3.  Field maple has never had much use as a timber tree, it is small and grows slowly, although the wood is an attractive white colour and hard. It has been used for flooring and in furniture and is popular for turning, especially for large drinking cups called mazers.
 
Associated species
 
A tree of ancient hedgerows and woodland, field maple supports over 100 mites and insects4. as well as providing resources for pollinators and useful cover for birds. It is one of the food plants for the larvae of many moth species including the small yellow wave Hydrelia flammeolaria and mocha Cyclophora annularia.  The small red raised spots sometimes seen on the upperside of its leaves are caused by the mite gall, Aceria aceriscampestris and does not harm the plant. 
 
The striking golden yellow leaves in autumn will provide additional colour to your hedge and, in winter, additional dry leaf cover for hedgehogs.
 
 
References
 
1. Stace, C. and Crawley, M.J. (2015) Alien Plants. New Naturalist HarperCollins p. 387
 
2.  Pearman, D. (2017). The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland, A compilation of the first records for 1670 species and aggregates, covering Great Britain, Ireland, The Channel Isles and the Isle of Man. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland. p.83
 
 
3.  Vickery, R. 2019. Vickery’s Folk Flora, An A to Z of the Folklore and Uses of British and Irish Plants. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. London p257
 
4. Biological Records Centre database 
 
 
Page drafted by Caroline Ware, extended and compiled by Steve Head
Field maple Acer campestre
 
Family: Sapindaceae - Maple family  
Flowering:  March to May
Fruit fall  September-October
 
 
Field maple is our only native member of the Sapindaceae, but we also have the sycamore Acer pseudoplatanus from continental Europe, probably introduced in the sixteenth century  and now our most widely distributed tree.1. The Norway maple Acer platanoides is also well established in the countryside and is planted in gardens, where it generally grows too large for comfort.  There are many horticultural species and varieties of Acer available to the gardener, many with spectacular autumn colours. Field maple is not a particularly garden-worthy specimen tree, but it is well worth including in a mixed-species hedge. The leaves are prominently palmate in shape with 3 to 5 lobes and could only be confused with those of the larger sycamore and Norway maple.
Field maple has rather inconspicuous 6mm cup-shaped green flowers that produce good quantities of nectar and pollen early in the year, especially useful for bumblebees and honeybees.  The seeds are very distinctive, being "samaras" they are equipped with a wing structure that enables them to "fly" by spinning when falling, slowing the fall so they can be carried some distance away from the parent tree in a strong wind.
Field maple has rather inconspicuous 6mm cup-shaped green flowers that produce good quantities of nectar and pollen early in the year, especially useful for bumblebees and honeybees.  The seeds are very distinctive, being "samaras" they are equipped with a wing structure that enables them to "fly" by spinning when falling, slowing the fall so they can be carried some distance away from the parent tree in a strong wind.
History and uses
 
Field maple was first recorded as the common lesser maple by Thomas Johnson “The Father of British field botany" in 1632.2.  It has a number of regional names, maplin-tree, cat-oak, whitty-bush and spinning jenny – after the helicopter action of the spinning samara seeds when shed. These seeds or “keys” are also known as money-in-both-pockets, haskets and lady’s lockets.3.  Field maple has never had much use as a timber tree, it is small and grows slowly, although the wood is an attractive white colour and hard. It has been used for flooring and in furniture and is popular for turning, especially for large drinking cups called mazers.
 
Associated species
 
A tree of ancient hedgerows and woodland, field maple supports over 100 mites and insects4. as well as providing resources for pollinators and useful cover for birds. It is one of the food plants for the larvae of many moth species including the small yellow wave Hydrelia flammeolaria and mocha Cyclophora annularia.  The small red raised spots sometimes seen on the upperside of its leaves are caused by the mite gall, Aceria aceriscampestris and does not harm the plant. 
 
The striking golden yellow leaves in autumn will provide additional colour to your hedge and, in winter, additional dry leaf cover for hedgehogs.
 
 
References
 
1. Stace, C. and Crawley, M.J. (2015) Alien Plants. New Naturalist HarperCollins p. 387
 
2.  Pearman, D. (2017). The Discovery of the Native Flora of Britain and Ireland, A compilation of the first records for 1670 species and aggregates, covering Great Britain, Ireland, The Channel Isles and the Isle of Man. Botanical Society of Britain & Ireland. p.83
 
 
3.  Vickery, R. 2019. Vickery’s Folk Flora, An A to Z of the Folklore and Uses of British and Irish Plants. Weidenfeld & Nicolson. London p257
 
4. Biological Records Centre database 
 
 
Page drafted by Caroline Ware, extended and compiled by Steve Head
           Garden Wildplants
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