- Mature height
- 15m to 20m
- Mature width
- 10m to 15m
Acer campestre, the field maple, is a medium to large deciduous tree with a rounded, densely branched canopy. The leaves are small and softly lobed, dark green through the warmer months, turning a clear golden yellow before they drop. Small clusters of yellow green flowers open in spring. The overall effect is neat and unfussy.
It grows in full sun to part shade and copes with compacted, alkaline and clay soils better than most maples. Growth is moderate, around 40 to 60 centimetres a year. Fully frost hardy and suited to cool temperate and temperate zones, it tolerates dry spells, wind and urban pollution once established.
Field maple is a standard choice for street plantings, car park islands, avenues and larger gardens where a long lived shade canopy is wanted. It also works in windbreaks and mixed shelter belts. For councils and developers it offers dependable structure and canopy cover with very little ongoing intervention.
Frequently Asked Questions
About Field Maple
What is Acer campestre?
Acer campestre is the field maple, a deciduous tree from Europe and western Asia in the Sapindaceae family. It forms a rounded, densely branched canopy of small lobed leaves that turn clear golden yellow in autumn. It is a tough, adaptable urban tree, widely planted in Australia for shade, structure and reliable seasonal colour.
How big does field maple grow?
Field maple reaches 15 to 20 metres in height and 10 to 15 metres across at full maturity, forming a broad rounded crown. That is a large tree, so allow room away from buildings, service lines and boundaries. In smaller spaces it can be held lower with formative pruning, but it is better given room.
How fast does field maple grow?
Growth is moderate, around 40 to 60 centimetres a year once the tree is established. Advanced stock planted from larger containers gives usable canopy within a few seasons. The rate slows in poor or very dry soil and picks up with steady water and an annual mulch through the first three summers.
Is field maple evergreen or deciduous?
It is deciduous. The leaves hold dark green through spring and summer, turn golden yellow in autumn, then drop over the colder months, leaving a clear branch structure through winter. That bare period lets winter sun through to buildings and lawns below, which is one reason it is used so often in street planting.
Where does field maple grow best in Australia?
It performs best in cool temperate and temperate districts, including Victoria, Tasmania, the ACT, the southern tablelands of New South Wales, the Adelaide Hills and southern Western Australia. It will grow in warmer temperate areas given deeper soil and summer water. It is not suited to tropical or humid subtropical coastal conditions.
Does field maple have invasive roots?
The root system is fibrous and comparatively well behaved for a tree of this size, which is why it is used as a street tree here and overseas. Even so, this is a large tree and roots follow moisture, so keep it a sensible distance from drains, paving and footings. Allow at least 4 to 5 metres from structures.
How do I care for a field maple?
Water deeply once or twice a week through the first two summers, after which it largely looks after itself. Keep a mulch layer of 75 to 100 millimetres, held clear of the trunk. Feed with a balanced slow release fertiliser in early spring. Prune in late winter only, to remove dead or crossing wood and to lift the canopy.