Sycamore Maple
Acer pseudoplatanus
- Native to:
- Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Corse, Czechia-Slovakia, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Krym, North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Portugal, Romania, Sicilia, Spain, Switzerland, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine
Gordon Leggett
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Sapindaceae
- Genus:
- Acer
- Species:
- Acer pseudoplatanus
- USDA Symbol:
- ACPS
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Tree
- Height:
- 3500 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Full Sun
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- yellow-green
Wildlife Benefits
- Bees:
- ★☆☆☆☆ Documented bee visitation (GBIF)
- Caterpillars:
- ★★★☆☆ Recorded caterpillar host plant (HOSTS Database)
Keystone Species Ranking
- Caterpillar Keystone:
- ★★★★★ Butterfly & moth species supported by this genus (NWF)
Host Plant for Caterpillars
Ailanthus silkmoth (Samia cynthia), American Dagger Moth (Acronicta americana), Banded Tussock Moth (Halysidota tessellaris), Brown-tail moth (Euproctis chrysorrhoea), Cecropia moth (Hyalophora cecropia), Cnidocampa flavescens, drab prominent (Misogada unicolor), Gelechia desiliens, Hickory Tussock Moth (Lophocampa caryae), Imperial Moth (Eacles imperialis), Io moth (Automeris io), Regal Moth (Citheronia regalis), Rosy Maple Moth (Dryocampa rubicunda), Sycamore Tussock Moth (Halysidota harrisii), Synanthedon resplendens, Walker’s Atlas Moth (Samia walkeri), Winter moth (Operophtera brumata)
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds, small mammals, pollinators
- Salt Tolerant:
- Yes
- Fall Color:
- yellow
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 7.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- tolerates poor drainage
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- Prefers fertile soils in its native range
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- Cold/moist stratification required — 90–120 days
- Germination Time:
- 14–60 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate best with cold stratification at 1-5°C. Fresh seed germinates more readily than stored seed.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI