Acer pseudoplatanus
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- Invasive alien species
Description
Sycamore is a deciduous tree in the genus of maples (Acer). It is a monoecious broadleaf tree, which has no root sprouts. It is native to and the most common type of maple in Europe. In Central Europe it grows into a bulky tree with broad, round crown. Sycamore is a popular ornamental tree in European cities and thus, it has been spread to many new areas as an ornamental plant as well. Once settled in a new area, it will continue to spread to the surrounding area with the help of its winged seeds. So far, sycamore is found only in a few places in Finland. However, especially in Southern Finland, it has strong spreading potential, because the climate there is suitable for it and it produces plenty of seedlings. It competes effectively with other trees and shrubs and can displace the original species. As a preventive measure, sycamore is classified as a nationally invasive alien species.
Description text authors:
Translation Luke 2023.
Growing form
Dioecious deciduous tree.
Size
6–10 m high.
Stem
The bole is gray and smooth when young, but becomes shedding when older. The crown is hemispherical.
Leaf
The lamina is rounded, palmately lobed with five lobes, dark green above and gray-green beneath. The lobes are acute and both sides of each lobe are evenly wide at the base. The margin is serrate – double-serrate.
Flower
The inflorescence is 8–10 cm long, pendent, many-flowered and racemose.
Fruit and seed
The fruit is typically a paired samara but, but the fruit can occasionally consist of three or four samaras. The wings of the fruit are parallel.
The map represents observations of this taxon, but it may not be used as a distribution map.
- Total squares
- vuorivaahtera (Finnish)
- tysklönn (Swedish)
- TNV - alien, new, resident
- 3 - spreading in the wild; completely of cultivated origin
| Establishment | Established |
|---|
Finland’s National Strategy on Invasive Alien Species (GR 2012) ? Government Decree on Managing the Risk Caused by Alien Species (704/2019, VN 912/2023) ?
- 2019 NA – Not Applicable
- 2010 NA – Not Applicable
- Mikko Piirainen
- Vascular plants