Common Name:

General Information

Acer campbellii is a deciduous tree that usually grows 15 - 18 metres tall but can reach 30 - 35 metres[, ].
The plant is harvested from the wild for its wood which is used locally and also traded. It is sometimes grown as an ornamental in gardens.

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

E. Asia - Himalayas of southwest China (Xizang), India, Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar

Habitat

Mixed forests; at elevations from 1,800 - 3,700 metres[].

Properties

Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	15.00 m
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Acer campbellii is a moderately cold-hardy plant, able to tolerate temperatures down to around -15°c when dormant[]. Plants generally only succeed outdoors in the warmer regions of the temperate zone, and most forms do not tolerate temperatures down to -15°c other than for short periods. There are forms, however, that are more cold-tolerant[].
Acer species are generally of easy cultivation, growing best in full sun or light, dappled shade and succeeding in most well-drained but moisture-retentive soils[, ].
Responds well to coppicing[].
The plant is andromonoecious, producing both male flowers and hermaphrodite flowers[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

None known

Agroforestry Uses:

This is the chief maple of the Eastern Himalaya. It reproduces freely either by seed or by coppice, and plays an important part in the regeneration of the hill forests[].

Other Uses

The greyish-white wood is moderately hard, shining, close-grained. It has a pretty silver-grain and a satiny lustre. The wood is extensively used for planking and for making tea-boxes[].

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it usually germinates in the following spring. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. It can be slow to germinate. The seed can be harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has dried and produced any germination inhibitors) and sown immediately. It should germinate in late winter. If the seed is harvested too soon it will produce very weak plants or no plants at all[, ]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions.
Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus.
Cuttings of young shoots in early summer . The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter.