Maud Gordon Holmes Arboretum

Scientific name: Acer campestre

Common name: hedge maple

Native: No

Native range: It is native to most of Europe [2,4].

Distribution in North America: Click to view the USDA Plants Database page for A. campestre.

USDA Zones: 5-8A [1]

Maximum age: It lives to 250-350 years on average [4].

Ecology: In its native range, it is home to a variety of insects, thus attracting insectivorous birds [4,5]. It is also a source of nectar and pollen for bees, and the fruits are consumed by small mammals [5].

Ethnobotany: Its tough, dense wood is excellent for woodworking, however the small scale of the wood it produces means that it is typically used as firewood, rather than a medium for woodcrafts. It is valuable as a source of forage for honeybees [2,4,5]. It is used in traditional European medicine as an anti-inflammatory, and it contains several compounds that may have medical significance [3].