The Maple
The Wood Guide · The forests
The forest series · tree portraitThe maple
Striking in every season, fast-growing and surprisingly versatile — from maple syrup to the wood of violin backs.
- Acer
- 100 to 200 years
- 20 to 30 metres
The maple in brief
Of the genus Acer, recognisable by its hand-shaped leaves and the winged seeds that spin down like little helicopters.
The maple is a tree of many talents. It grows fast and adapts exceptionally well, so it is just as at home in a city park as in a country garden. It becomes more imposing with the years — a hundred to two hundred years is normal, at twenty to thirty metres tall.
That adaptability makes it one of the most common avenue trees in our region. It tolerates compacted soil, air pollution and pruning, and it self-seeds so readily that you will pull it up more often than you plant it.
Two uses that have nothing to do with each other, and both come from this tree. In North America the sap of the sugar maple is boiled down into maple syrup — forty litres of sap for one litre of syrup. And the wood, especially when it is figured, has for centuries been the standard material for the back, sides and neck of violins.
- Botanical
- Acer (sycamore, Norway maple, field maple)
- Lifespan
- 100 to 200 years
- Height
- 20 to 30 metres
- Leaf
- hand-shaped, five lobes
- Fruit
- winged, spin like little helicopters
- Wood
- pale, fine and very even
To be fair: sycamore self-seeds aggressively. Thousands of seedlings per tree per year is normal, and in woodland gardens and nature reserves it crowds out native undergrowth. Plant one and you sign up for weeding every year — and in some nature reserves it is actively controlled.
In pictures · Which maple is that?
Schematic drawing.
Which maple is that?
| Species | Leaf | Identification |
|---|---|---|
| Sycamore (A. pseudoplatanus) | Five lobes, dull upper surface | Winged seeds at a sharp angle; flaking bark |
| Norway maple (A. platanoides) | Five lobes, more pointed and glossy | Wings in an almost straight line; milky sap in the leaf stalk |
| Field maple (A. campestre) | Smaller, rounded lobes | Shrubby; common in hedges |
| Sugar maple (A. saccharum) | Like the Norway maple | North American; the syrup tree |
| Japanese maple (A. palmatum) | Finely cut | Ornamental gardens; stays small and colours vividly |
Not sure whether it is a sycamore or a Norway maple? Snap off a leaf stalk. If white milky sap comes out, it is a Norway maple. Sycamore has none. Works throughout the growing season.
Pale, hard and even
Almost white
One of the palest native woods, with hardly any difference in colour between heartwood and sapwood. That makes it popular wherever a light, calm look matters.
Hard and even
Hard enough for worktops, chopping boards and heavily used floors, and so even in structure that it cuts cleanly in every direction.
Figured maple
Some trees develop a wavy grain that seems to move in the light. That wood is exceptionally sought after — and the reason violin backs are made from it.
Not durable
Maple has no place outdoors. Indoors it is excellent.
For a violin you want a stiff, dense back that reflects the sound, and a light, flexible top that vibrates with it. Maple provides the first, spruce the second. That combination has not changed since the sixteenth century.
Frequently asked questions about the maple
How do I recognise a maple?
By the hand-shaped leaf with five lobes and the winged seeds that spin down like little helicopters. If you snap off a leaf stalk and white milky sap comes out, it is a Norway maple.
Where does maple syrup come from?
From the sap of the sugar maple in North America, boiled down into syrup. It takes about forty litres of sap to make one litre of syrup.
Why are violin backs made of maple?
Because maple is stiff and dense and reflects the sound, while the top made of spruce vibrates with it. That combination has been the standard for centuries.
Can maple be used outdoors?
No, it is not durable. Indoors it is excellent for worktops, floors and furniture.
The maple in perspective
Syrup on one side of the ocean, violin backs on the other.
Have a question about your project? Just ask — we're happy to help.
Photo via Wikimedia Commons: Acer pseudoplatanus — Gordon Leggett, CC BY-SA 4.0