About this tree
Acer platanoides, commonly known as the Norway maple, is a deciduous tree native to eastern and central Europe and western Asia. It grows 20–30 m tall with a broad rounded crown and palmately lobed leaves that grow phyllotactically (two leaves sprout from the stem at the same level and grow in opposite directions). It produces yellow to yellow-green flowers in early spring and paired winged samaras (helicopter seeds). Its wood is hard and used for furniture, flooring, and instruments in Europe. Many cultivars have been selected for ornamental traits, including leaf shape and colour; among these, the dark purple foliage of “Crimson King” is especially popular. Crimson King is a Norway maple cultivar selected in Belgium in the 1930s, prized for its large, deep crimson leaves throughout spring and summer and its dramatic landscape presence. Both Crimson King and other cultivars like “Prigold” have won the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. The species has significant cultural value as a street, shade, and park tree but can be invasive outside its native range, establishing dense stands that compete with native vegetation. Another factor in its successful competition is its pollution resilience.