Are you looking for a tree for your garden? How about the easy-care field maple? It provides beautiful color accents in autumn.
The field maple is not only known as a Maßholder, but also as Acer campestre in technical jargon. The plant belongs to the maple genus and the soap tree family. In some botanical publications in this country, the spelling "field maple" is still common. The term "Maßholder" can be traced back to the earlier use of the tree, which was used as a food tree. In the past, the leaves of the field maple were eaten like a kind of sauerkraut and used as fodder for cattle. In Germany, the tree was even named "Tree of the Year 2015".
In addition, the field maple is much more common as a shrub than as a tree. After all, it is an optimal hedge plant, which has to do with the good pruning tolerance of the field maple. In general, the plant is considered to be easy to care for and robust, so that it can bring a lot of joy to all hobby gardeners. Incidentally, the list of common names for this plant is long. For example, it includes the following and many other names:
- Gel Tree
- your
- Cross Tree
- Hardwood
- Ashtray
- Binbaum
- Scribe Tree
- Whitebelow
- Bowwood
- Batwood
- Angerbin Tree
- Eat Thorn
- Flaster
- Flutter
- Loach
- Measuring sleeves
Description of Field Maple
The field maple is in most cases a deciduous shrub. Only when the perfect site conditions prevail can the Maßholder grow into a tree that can grow to a height of up to 15 meters. Rare specimens of this tree even reach heights of over 20 meters. The trunk circumference can be up to one meter. However, this is only the case with an older specimen. With good care and favorable conditions, the field maple can live between 150 and 200 years.
A distinctive central root system, which can extend up to a meter deep, ensures the robustness of the tree. This makes the plant comparativelyinsensitive. It is only when the soil is clayey or strongly acidic that the Maßholder cannot show satisfactory growth. The net-cracked bark is characterized by a brown-grey color. Some of the young twigs are accompanied by cork strips, which are also characterized by very good pruning tolerance.
The stalked leaves are particularly beautiful to look at in October. Then they turn yellow or orange before the field maple gradually loses its leaves in autumn. However, the foliage of this shrub decomposes quite well, which should also suit all hobby gardeners. Incidentally, the field maple flowers from May to June, with the plants having both male and female flowers.
Where is the field maple found?
Compared to many other maple species, the field maple is much more widespread. The plant feels at home almost everywhere in temperate zones and is therefore often found in the wild in Europe (in the far north, but only in the far south of Scandinavia), West Asia and Northwest Africa.
If you want to discover the field maple in the Mediterranean region, you have to go to higher altitudes. In Central Europe, on the other hand, the tree is rarely found in the mountains and is often found in the plains and hills. In the northern Alps, the Maßholder is represented up to a height of around 800 meters. The comparatively low stature of the plant ensures that it is rarely found in forests. Rather, the free-standing ornamental tree or a field maple hedge can embellish many parks and gardens with their pretty foliage.
According to a statistical survey commissioned by the Federal Agency for Agriculture and Food, a good 600,000 field maple specimens were recorded in Germany between 2010 and 2013. 400,000 of these trees can be found in Bavaria. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania there were still 80,000 field maple plants and a further 70,000 specimens in Thuringia. This shows that the spread of the Maßholder in this country is mainly limited to the three federal states mentioned. In general, the field maple can be found in the following places:
- oak forests
- Beech forests
- Roadside greenings
- Raine
- Hedges
- Forest Edges
- Alluvial Forests
- Fields
- Hornbeam forests
- Windbreak Strips
Various cultivated forms of the field maple
Thanks to its great popularity, variousCultivated forms of the field maple are known. In the following we present these Maßholder species in more detail to all interested hobby gardeners:
| Cultivated form | Features |
|---|---|
| Elsrijk (Field Maple) | ❍ has a conical, quite compact crown ❍ growth height of 6 to 10 metres ❍ width of 4 to 6 metres ❍ stiffly upright habit❍ one of the particularly robust field maple species |
| Nanum/Compactum (Field Maple) | ❍ spherical, rather weak growth ❍ is often offered as a specially refined standard |
| Magic Spring | ❍ Leaves with white marbling ❍ Orange-red shoots ❍ Width and height each 3 to 4 metres ❍ Loose and upright growth |
| Carnival (white field maple) | ❍ white variegated leaves with soft pink areas when they shoot ❍ growth with a round crown |
| Postelense | ❍ round field maple crown ❍ about 10 meters in width and height ❍ young leaves are golden yellow (turn green over summer) ❍ marked by a rather weak growth |
| Red Shine | ❍ Shoots in an intense red tone ❍ Leaves later turn bronze-green ❍ Rather slow growth ❍ Width of 2 to 3 meters and height of 3 to 4 meters |
| Royal Ruby | ❍ red to wine-red shoots and dark green foliage ❍ growth height after about 10 years: 3.5 metres ❍ yellow coloring in autumn |
| Powderulentum | ❍ white variegated Maßholder foliage with lots of bright speckles ❍ growth height of up to 8 metres ❍ a densely branched habit |
| Green Weeping | ❍ Field maple weeping ❍ hardy ❍ green foliage ❍ 3 meters tall after about 10 years |
| Easleigh Weeping | ❍ Field maple hanging form ❍ slow growth ❍ green leaves ❍ particularly suitable for partially shaded locations |
| Schwerinii | ❍ red-brown leaf shoots ❍ later a dark green colouring ❍ stiffly upright growth ❍ growth height of approx. 5 meters after around 10 years ❍ danger of a Mildew Infestation |
| Queen Elizabeth | ❍ dark green leaves with a special shine ❍ stiffly upright habit ❍ delicate field maple ❍ can reach heights of up to 12 meters ❍ hard This tree doesn't like soil at all |
The perfect location for the field maple
Humidity as well alternately dry soils are very good for the field maple. In addition, the plant loves a nutrient-rich soil. The Maßholder likes partial shade and a field maple hedge can also thrive very well in sunny locations. Only a location that is too shady can lead to a stunted growth of the plant.
The field maple is not only able to cope with industrial pollution, but also with the conventional urban climate and a slight pollution from road s alt. This maple variety, which often remains shrubby, can also be planted in a city garden or as a property hedge. This applies to almost all regions of Germany. The field maple also loves warmth and tolerates heat very well.
Where the field maple is planted, the soil should ideally be either sandy-loamy or loamy. A slightly acidic or alkaline soil pH is also ideal. The field maple grows significantly more slowly on nutrient-poor soil than on soil with the highest possible concentration of nutrients.
How to plant the field maple correctly
If you want to buy the Maßholder for your own garden at a particularly low price, it is best to use root stock from October until well into winter. Field maple is also available in bales all year round. As long as there is no frost, you can even plant this field maple variant in the garden all year round.
Before planting the Maßholder, a pruning of one third is recommended. This leads to a bushier growth, which is particularly desirable for hedges. It is best to water the field maple sufficiently 24 or more hours before later planting. You should also put humus in the sufficiently large planting hole. Please do not fertilize the plant after planting. However, you should mulch the planting site so that the young field maple plants cannot dry out. Reading tip: Why mulch in the garden?
If you want to keep the field maple as a solitary tree in your own garden, you should ensure a planting distance of around five meters on all sides. A pole is welcome to support the Maßholder tree so that crooked growth can be prevented. If the Maßholder is to be planted as a hedge, a planting distance of 60 to 80 centimeters is recommended.
How to care for the field maple?
The field maple is very easy to care for, which is also due to the fact that the plant grows in almost any soil. This maple variety does not need to be fertilized either. He only loses in the fallfield maple its foliage, which accordingly means raking is required. To prevent the tree or field maple hedge from drying out too much, it is also advisable to mulch the Maßholder in spring as a precautionary measure. In addition, it makes sense to keep the field maple slightly moist whenever possible.
Cut back of the measure holder
The easy-care field maple tends to grow very vigorously. This is especially true for young plants, which can gain up to 50 centimeters in height per year. Therefore, a pruning that is only carried out once a year is usually not enough. A field maple hedge should instead be shortened once in spring and again in autumn. This is especially true when there are extremely favorable site conditions that allow the Maßholder to grow very quickly.
The plant generally tolerates pruning very well. In the best case, a strong pruning takes place in the month of March. This also rejuvenates the field maple.
Tip:
If you only have little space in your own garden, it is better to use one of the smaller field maple cultivars or a slow-growing species. Then the measure holder does not have to be cut back quite as much in the hobby garden, which reduces the amount of work accordingly. The field maple can also be cultivated as a bonsai without any problems. In this case, a much more frequent pruning of the Maßholder tub or pot plant is required.
Is the field maple hardy?
Yes. The field maple is a hardy and wind-resistant plant. Accordingly, no special measures are required for overwintering the Maßholder in the local regions.
How can the field maple be propagated?
The field maple reproduces very well without outside help. This is because the split fruits that fall from such a tree or hedge often germinate and then develop their own roots. Thus, the field maple spreads in your own garden all by itself. However, if you want to determine the later location for the field maple young plants yourself, you should hurry, because the seedlings of the fallen field maple split fruits develop very quickly branched roots. You should therefore transplant the small seedlings as early as possible. The older the young field maple plants, the more difficult it will be to transplant them to a different location at a later date.
Possible use of field maple
In herbal medicine, plays above allthe bark of the field maple plays an important role. It can be processed into an infusion that is said to help against external skin redness. Such an infusion can also be consumed as a tea, which is said to have a calming effect on gastrointestinal infections.
But all hobby gardeners should be familiar with the field maple primarily as a hedge. After all, this maple variety is ideal as a bird protection and wind protection hedge. In addition, the field maple only loses its foliage in late autumn. Thus, a field maple hedge is opaque for quite a long time.
The leaves of the Maßholder are also perfectly suited for leaf composting. It takes about three to four years for a newly planted field maple hedge to grow densely. Nevertheless, the hedge should be cut back twice a year during this time, as this promotes denser growth.
Possible diseases and pests
❍ Gall mites:
An infestation with gall mites can become a problem for the field maple. Gall mites can cause significant damage to field maple foliage. It is therefore important to collect them from the plant as soon as possible.
❍ Mildew:
A mildew infestation is also possible. If this is the case, the field maple leaves will suddenly have a gray haze, which can be easily combated with a commercially available fungicide. If this is not sufficient, the parts of the plant affected by the mildew infestation must be carefully removed. They are also to be destroyed. If that's still not enough, you also have to think about transplanting the field maple to another location. Reading tip: Fight mildew - This is how it works.
❍ leaf spot:
The leaf spot disease can also overtake the field maple. Initially, this clinical picture is characterized by small black spots, which spread further and further on the field maple leaves and finally turn brown. The affected leaves just fall off. This disease of the Maßholder is due to drought stress and requires no further treatment.
❍ Verticillium Wilt:
In addition, Verticillium wilt, a common fungal disease in many gardens, can become a problem for field maples. This fungus gains access to the tree via the roots, the pathways of which are then blocked. Wilted field maple leaves are the result. Most of the time, however, only part of the tree is affected by the problem, so these parts can be easily removed. It shouldPruning back into he althy tree tissue to effectively combat Verticillium wilt.
❍ Tree Cancer:
A fungal attack on the field maple can also lead to tree cancer. Then the bark of the Maßholder breaks open. If the trunk is affected by an infestation, the tree canker should be cut out generously. Affected branches and twigs, on the other hand, should be cut off and then burned. Professional help may be needed with this issue.