Norway maple (NOM) - Forest Research

Native range

Widespread in Europe from Scandinavia to northern Spain and east to the Ural Mountains.

Provenance Choice

Material from good quality British stands or selected stands in western Europe should be preferred.

Site Requirements

Cold hardy throughout Britain but is less tolerant of exposure than sycamore. Grows on a wide range of soils but does best on deep, fresh to moist free-draining soils of medium to rich nutrient status. However, it appears to be more tolerant of drier sites than sycamore and to be able to grow on alkaline soils. It is not suited to soils of very poor nutrient status or waterlogged conditions such as peats. This is a species which grows fast for the first 30-40 years and can be difficult to manage in mixture.

Pests and Pathogens

Like sycamore, Norway maple is affected by various leaf spot and blotch diseases. It is reported to be especially vulnerable to Verticillium wilt, but also affected by root diseases caused by Phytophthora and Armillaria (honey fungus).

It is vulnerable to bark stripping by grey squirrels and horse chestnut leaf miner (Cameraria ohridella) has also been reported to occasionally damage Norway maple.

Use

Its greater tolerance of drier soils may mean that this species will be used in preference to sycamore in parts of eastern lowland Britain.

Norway maple is categorised as a secondary tree species. These are species that have been planted on a much smaller scale than the principal species but are reasonably well understood and have demonstrated their suitability for forestry in terms of stem form, growth rate and hardiness under current conditions and so have potential for wider use in future.