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Native Plant Alternatives to Acer platanoides (Norway Maple)

Native Plants, Invasive Plants, Acer platanoides, Norway Maple

Native to Europe and parts of Asia and Africa, Acer platanoides, commonly known as the Norway Maple, was introduced to North America in the late 18th century as an ornamental tree for its beautiful shape and foliage, especially its fall color. However, it has since escaped cultivation and naturalized in parts of the United States and Canada.

The Norway Maple grows quickly and casts dense shade, which can inhibit the growth of other plants beneath it. Its shallow root system can also outcompete other plants for water and nutrients. Moreover, it reproduces readily from its abundant seed production, allowing it to spread and form dense stands that outcompete native vegetation.

The Norway Maple is listed as an invasive species in several states in the U.S., particularly in the Northeast and Midwest, and it’s also invasive in parts of Canada.

According to the U.S Forest Service, Invasive species have contributed to the decline of 42% of U.S. endangered and threatened species and 18% of U.S. endangered or threatened species. Invasive species compete directly with native species for moisture, sunlight, nutrients, and space. They displace and alter native plant communities, degrade wildlife habitat and water quality, and potentially lead to increased soil erosion.

The federal government has estimated that nearly 25 percent of the 20,000 plant species native to North America are at risk of extinction, many of these through habitat loss. You can help reverse this trend by planting great native plants in your garden.

A plant is considered native if it occurs naturally in a particular region or ecosystem without human introduction. There are many benefits to growing native plants. First, these plants are better adapted to soils, moisture, and weather than exotic plants that evolved in other parts of the world. They need fewer fertilizers and pesticides or use less water. Second, they are unlikely to escape and become invasive, destroying natural habitats. Third, they support wildlife, providing shelter and food for native birds and insects, while exotic plants do not.

Guide Information

Hardiness 3 - 7
Heat Zones 1 - 7
Plant Type Trees
Genus Acer
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Native Plants United States

U.S. Native Plant Alternatives to Acer platanoides (Norway Maple)

Acer rubrum (Red Maple)
Acer saccharum (Sugar Maple)
Aesculus glabra (Ohio Buckeye)
Betula nigra (River Birch)
Carya ovata (Shagbark Hickory)
Celtis occidentalis (Common Hackberry)
Cladrastis kentukea (Yellowwood)
Diospyros virginiana (American Persimmon)
Gymnocladus dioica (Kentucky Coffeetree)
Halesia carolina (Carolina Silverbell)
Liquidambar styraciflua (Sweet Gum)
Liriodendron tulipifera (Tulip Tree)
Nyssa sylvatica (Black Gum)
Ostrya virginiana (American Hop Hornbeam)
Quercus alba (White Oak)
Quercus coccinea (Scarlet Oak)
Quercus imbricaria (Shingle Oak)
Quercus macrocarpa (Bur Oak)
Quercus phellos (Willow Oak)
Quercus rubra (Red Oak)
Quercus shumardii (Shumard Oak)
Sassafras albidum (Sassafras)
Tilia americana (American Basswood)

 

 

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While every effort has been made to describe these plants accurately, please keep in mind that height, bloom time, and color may differ in various climates. The description of these plants has been written based on numerous outside resources.

Guide Information

Hardiness 3 - 7
Heat Zones 1 - 7
Plant Type Trees
Genus Acer
Exposure Full Sun, Partial Sun
Season of Interest Spring (Early, Mid, Late)
Summer (Early, Mid, Late)
Fall
Winter
Native Plants United States
Compare All Acer (Maple)
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Acer (Maple)
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