Maple trees are a genus of deciduous trees that attract attention, not only for their size, but also for their leaves that turn different colors as summer gives way to autumn.
One of the less popular but highly decorative species is the one known by the scientific name Acer macrophyllum. Find out what the big leaf maple looks like.
Features Acer macrophyllum
The bark is covered with moss and epiphytic ferns in the most humid parts of its distribution.
Our protagonist is a deciduous tree native to western North America, growing mostly near the Pacific coast. Besides big leaf maple, it is also called Oregon Maple. It belongs to the botanical family Sapindaceae, and it is characterized by growing to a maximum height of 20 meters.
Its leaves are between 15 and 30cm wide, and are composed of five deeply incised palmate lobes, the longest being up to 61cm. They are normally green in color, but during the fall they turn yellow-orange.
In spring the flowers appear, which appear grouped in hanging clusters 10-15cm long. They are greenish-yellow, not very ornamental. The fruit is a winged samara, and the seeds are between 1 and 1,5cm in diameter.
How do you take care of yourself?
Image - Laspilitas.com
If you want to have a specimen in your garden, then we tell you what care you should give it:
- Location: outside, in semi-shade.
- Land: it must be acidic (between 4 and 6), rich in organic matter, loose, fresh and with good drainage.
- Irrigation: frequent, especially in summer. During this season it must be watered 3 or 4 times a week, and the rest of the year every 2 or 3 days.
- Subscriber: highly recommended to fertilize from spring to autumn with manure, laying a 2-3cm thick layer around the trunk once a month.
- Multiplication: by means of the stratification from its seeds in winter, and by woody cuttings in spring.
- Planting time: in spring, before its leaves sprout.
- Rusticity: it supports the cold of up to -15ºC, but does not like temperatures of more than 30ºC.
Have you heard of the Acer macrophyllum?