Maple is a tree of amazing beauty, especially in autumn, when its crown shimmers with all shades of yellow-red. The color palette is very diverse, there are such colors as yellow, golden yellow, orange, brown-red, purple, olive, lemon, orange-red.
In different parts of the world there are varieties of maple, which are very different from the crown, leaf shape, fruit shape and other features, although they belong to the same genus - maple (Acer L.), which has about 160 species. Maples used to belong to the Maple family, now they are placed in the Sapindaceae family.
How to determine the type of maple
Varieties of maple can be distinguished by the shape of the leaves. The acutifolia maple has the outlines familiar to us - five lobes, in the field maple they are from three to five, in curled maple there are up to nine, the Manchu maple has three leaves on the petiole. Maple fruits also differ. Two winged wings look like dragonfly wings, which are at different angles in different species: in the small-leaved maple, they are straight, in the light maple, the angle is obtuse, and in the maple of the field lionfish they are in a straight line.
How and where maples grow
Typically, maples are
trees growing in height from 10 to 40 m, but there are also species of bush maples. In such shrubs, several branches diverge from the base of the trunk, sometimes reaching a ten-meter height. The maples we know are deciduous plants, but there are evergreen species of maple that grow in South Asia and the Mediterranean region.
Most fully all varieties of maple are presented in the mountainous regions of East Asia. Scientists suggest that it was from here that his relocation to other places began. Maples grow in Europe, North and Central America, South Asia, and North Africa. Interestingly, these trees do not occur at all in Australia and South America.
Maples in Russia
In Russia, maple appeared several centuries ago, and the first was the species of maple, which was planted in monastery and boyar gardens. A little later in the park culture, other types of maple began to be used - Tatar, Manchurian, ash-leaved. Now in the vastness of Russia 20 species of maples are growing, of which the most common are Tatar maple, white maple (pseudo-plane), field maple, acutifolia (plane-leaved).
The maple is most widespread. This is a tall tree (up to 28 m) with a dense spherical crown. In young trees, the bark is smooth, gray-brown in color, with time it becomes almost black and is covered with longitudinal cracks.
Field maple reaches a height of 15 m, has a trunk with brownish bark and a dense spherical crown. It tolerates a haircut, so it is sometimes used for hedges, but more often for group and single plantings.
Tatar maple is a low tree with a smooth, almost black, bark. It has an elegant look not only in the autumn, but also in the summer, when its many pink-red lionfish fruits ripen.
White maple (which is also called sycamore) can reach a height of 35 m. It has a wide domed crown. The bark on young trees is white, darkens and exfoliates with age. Wood is used in the manufacture of musical instruments, for the production and decorative lining of furniture.
How maple is used
In the old days in Russia, in the spring, maple juice was obtained from maples and boiled syrup. Now, birch sap is extracted using a similar method, but they forgot about maple sap. In Canada, maple is widely used to produce maple syrup and further industrial production of sugar. The type of maple used for these purposes is called sugar maple, a leaf of which is shown on the flag of Canada.
To obtain wood using maple species that grow in the area. So, in North America it is sugar maple, in European countries - white maple.
Maples in japan
In Japan, maple is especially revered as a symbol of greatness and eternity. It is often used to create bonsai. Especially cultivated the crescent maple. Many of its garden forms have been developed, distinguished by the variety of leaf colors and the elegance of their shape. Such maple stands can be compared with the brightest flower arrangements.
The photo shows the following varieties of maple:
- photo 1 - field maple leaves;
- photo 2– white maple leaves;
- photo 3 - Tatar maple;
- photo 4 - sugar maple;
- photo 5 - Japanese maples.