If you’ve walked through the local park on a bright sunny summer day, there’s a good chance the pathways and picnic tables have been under Norway Maple trees (Acer platanoides). With strong branches and the classic maple tree look, there are plenty of reasons to use them in upcoming landscaping projects!

Native to Europe, Norway Maple has made its way in the United States and become a staple. Early each spring, this tree blooms petite yellow flowers. The unique blooms give the tree a charming amount of character along with a lovely cream colored tinge before the leaves even bud!

As the blooms come to an end, the tree is taken over by its luxurious deep green foliage that makes this symmetrical and outward branching crown a wonderful shade tree. Looking at this tree mid-summer, it is easy to imagine settling down and reading a book in the shade of the canopy for hours and hours.

The Deborah Maple is a hardy, deciduous, tree with a broad crown and dense foliage. The leaves are wavy-margined, opening in brilliant red, turning dark green in summer, and becoming orange-yellow in the fall. It bears greenish-yellow flowers in early spring. Tolerant to poor soils and harsh environmental conditions, but should be grown where vigorous surface roots will not be a problem.

Deborah Norway Maple is a versatile tree that can be planted almost anywhere in the yard. Because of their large leaves, Norway Maples produce a very dense shade that can provide relief from the hot summer sun. This tree should be planted at least 15ft from buildings and is also a perfect choice for the parkway.