trees

Growing and Caring for the American Maple

The history of introducing this North American species into cultivation spans almost four hundred years. It is a story of suffering, adaptation and, finally, a triumphant march through the cities, villages and shelterbelts of the entire Eurasian continent, all the way to the Arctic Circle. The abundant self-seeding of the American maple overruns urban lawns and, since the mid-19th century, natural habitats as well, suppressing native plants. As a result, landscape gardeners have branded it a “weed tree” and a “killer maple” and excluded it from the list of species recommended for planting in populated areas. Moscow’s Department of Natural Resources even urges people not to buy seedlings for their country plots, claiming that the plant “does not possess high ornamental and aesthetic qualities.” But here, as they say, the officials in charge of nature management have “thrown out the baby with the bathwater.” ... Read more