The beauty of maples won the hearts of people long ago, they are especially fantastically beautiful in the fall. How many poems the poets of different times devoted to this tree, how many times it was captured on the canvases of artists ... In Japan there are even catalogs and guides from which you can find out the most beautiful places where the maple grows. But not only this tree is famous for its beauty. Carpenters, for example, are very fond of it for the quality of wood, and folk healers - for its healing properties. This tree can be found in the forests of many countries. Botanists number about one hundred and fifty species of maple. More than ten varieties of this wonderful tree grow in Russia. This article will describe some species of this plant. You will also learn about the life span of a maple.
Description of the tree. Types of Maples
Maple is a very common tree species. It can often be found in parks and squares, as well as in deciduous forests. But, despite this, this tree is not dominant, most often maple grows in nature as an "admixture" to various dominant tree species. Translated from Latin, "maple" means "sharp." The tree received this name for the spiky shape of the leaves. Maple, numbering more than a hundred species, can be found in Europe, Asia, South and North America, North Africa.
Maple is a dioecious plant with small pale green flowers. The fruits of the maple tree are two “winged” seeds that have grown together, which decay after ripening. It should be noted that maple seeds can germinate even at zero temperature, even if there is snow around. This is no longer observed in any tree. Despite the great diversity of these trees, they are all united by a wide, angularly-rounded shape with pointed peaks. This form is called palmate-lobed. In autumn, the color of the leaves changes from green to bright orange, red, brown, yellow. Due to such a riot of colors, maple is often referred to as decorative plant species.
The root system of maples is superficial. It propagates by shoots and seeds. The tree is very photophilous, the special shape of the crown and the folded jewelry leaves help to collect the maximum amount of light. Also, the tree is thermophilic and drought-resistant, in the northern regions it can suffer from severe frosts and severe winters. Also, maple has an amazing ability to "cry." Even with a slight increase in air humidity, drops ("tears") begin to fall from the petioles of tree leaves. Next, some types of maples will be described in more detail.
Maple life span
It is believed that maple lives from two hundred to three hundred years. Many scientists claim that the age of some species can reach five centuries! In our latitudes, maple has a lifespan of about one hundred years. But if the tree grows in favorable conditions, then this figure may increase.
Acutifolia maple
Its second name is ordinary maple. This species is most often found on the territory of our country. This is a deciduous tree with a thick, pronounced spherical shape of the crown. In height, it reaches twenty to thirty meters. The bark of young trees is very different from the old. The former has a smooth reddish-gray color, and the latter has a rough, gray color, indented with small cracks. The leaves of common maple are five-lobed, wide enough (up to eighteen centimeters in diameter). The surface of the leaves is glossy. Holly maple blossoms with delicate yellow-green flowers, collected in small inflorescences. This species is very useful from an environmental point of view, as it traps benzene vapors, harmful suspensions of heavy metals, thereby purifying the air and improving the ecological situation in the surrounding area.
Factors affecting the life span of common maple
The life expectancy of this type of maple is 200-300 years. But rare trees reach this age. Many factors influence the life span of a maple: pests, diseases, and even humans. The most common pests of maple are ash shingles, maple shooter, all kinds of herbivorous mites. On the trunks and branches, parasitic apple shooter, acacia false shields, willow shields. Maple bud mite damages tree buds. On the trunks of maples, you can often find a parasitic fungus-tinder fungus. The leaves of the tree damage the dark brown and red-brown spots. It is worth considering another factor affecting how much maple grows. The life span of a tree often depends on the person. Since maple wood is very beautiful, with a unique pattern, it goes to the manufacture of expensive furniture and decoration materials.
White maple
The second name is sycamore. This type of maple grows in the Caucasus and the Carpathians. Also found in eastern countries and western Europe. The tree is very slender and tall, has a thick spherical-pyramidal crown. The bark at the sycamore is grayish-brown, gradually cracking with age, and under it you can see a young, lighter. The leaves are large, up to twenty centimeters in length. The shape of the leaves is heart-shaped, five-lobed. Maple blooms in mid-late May with small yellowish flowers.
Silver maple
This tree reaches a height of forty meters - a real giant among maples. The annual growth is quite large - forty centimeters wide and fifty in height. Therefore, it is easy to calculate how many years maple has been growing in order to achieve such gigantic proportions. The crown of this representative of the fauna is powerful, openwork. Branches are slightly drooping. Young maple has a bark of light gray color, young shoots are bright red. The leaves are large five-lobed, strongly dissected, whitish or bluish below. In the fall they turn light yellow. This type of maple is moisture-loving, frost-resistant, prefers open lighted areas. It is found in North America.
Manchurian maple
This species grows in China and the Far East. The tree reaches a height of twenty meters. Crohn's lace, round shape. The bark is light gray with small cracks. The leaves are triple, thin and graceful. The color of the leaves changes three times a year: in spring - red-orange, in summer - dark green, and in autumn - purple-red. Maple blossoms with large lemon yellow flowers. The plant tolerates the transplant well, as the root system is shallow.
Maple Chrimmon King
Interesting is this type of maple leaf color. In the spring they are blood-red in color, and in the summer they turn almost black. This tree is very popular among landscape designers.
Tatar maple
Another name is black-maple. The distribution area is quite wide - Western and Central Europe, Asia, Eastern Siberia, Central Russia. This species is a small tree or shrub, the height of which varies from two to ten meters. This tree looks very delicate - thin angular branches covered with fluff, bark of pale gray color. The leaves are small - five to ten centimeters in diameter, pubescent along the veins. Tatar maple is an excellent honey plant. The tree tolerates frosts well, shade-resistant and unpretentious to the soil. It is often planted in parks and squares.
Conclusion
Maple inspires artists to paint, photographers make "pilgrimages" in the autumn forest in order to stop a wonderful moment. So, be sure to go to the autumn park to enjoy the unique colors. And if you have a personal plot, then plant a maple in your garden. The life expectancy of a tree is very long, and therefore not only your children, but even your grandchildren will be able to enjoy the coolness in its shady foliage in the summer, and in the autumn admire the outfit of this bright tree.