Common Name: Moosewood

General Information

Acer pensylvanicum is a deciduous shrub or a small tree with a rounded, but uneven crown that is sometimes flat-topped; it usually grows 4 - 7.5 metres tall but can occasionally reach 12 metres. The short bole can be 20 - 25cm in diameter[, ].
The tree is sometimes harvested from the wild for local use as a medicine and source of wood. It is grown as an ornamental and street tree, valued particularly for the interesting white striping on the bark, especially of younger trees[]. A good tree for street planting[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

Eastern N. America - Nova Scotia to Georgia, west to Michigan

Habitat

An understory plant in moist rich woodlands, occasionally forming a large part of the shrubby undergrowth, often by water, and attaining its best growth on shaded, cool northern slopes in deep valleys; from sea level to 1,370 metres[, , , ].

Properties

Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Deciduous Tree
Height	4.50 m
Growth Rate	Slow
Pollinators	Insects
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Acer pensylvanicum grows best in climates with cool summers[]. It is found in areas where the mean annual precipitation is in the range 710 - 1630 mm, often with considerable winter snowfall. It has a frost0free growing season that can range from 90 - 210 days, with an average mid-winter temperature ranging from -12° to +4°c[]. Plants are hardy to about -25°c when they are fully dormant[].
Of easy cultivation, unlike many other maples this species prefers moderate shade, succeeding also in quite dense shade. The leaves can burn in full sun, especially in hot summer climates[]. It grows best in a good moist well-drained soil but succeeds on most soils, especially those on the acid side, and dislikes alkaline soils[, ]. Grows well in heavy clay soils.
Trees are slow-growing but long-lived[].
The species is well adapted to survival under heavy shade. As a suppressed understory tree, its growth and development are extremely slow. Height growth over a 10-year period may be as little as 30cm, but trees that have been heavily suppressed for 35 - 40 years respond well if exposed to more open conditions and can grow fairly rapidly[].
Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[, ].
Sex expression in this species is variable. It can be monoecious, with male and female flowers on the same tree, or dioecious, with some trees male and others female; the same tree may differ in expression from year to year[].

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

A tea made from the inner bark is used in the treatment of colds, coughs, bronchitis, kidney infections, gonorrhoea and the spitting of blood[]. A wash is used externally on swollen limbs and as a wash for paralysis[].

A tea made from the leaves and twigs is used to both allay and induce vomiting, depending on the dosage[].

An active antitumor substance has been isolated from the tree[].

Other Uses

We have two reports that the leaves of maple species, when laid in layers between crops such as apples, carrots and potatoes, have a preservative effect[, ]. The reports do not name any specific species[].

Whistles can easily be carved from branch sections, hence one common name of whistlewood[].

The heartwood is light brown; the thick layer of sapwood is lighter coloured. The wood is light, soft, close-grained and satiny, it weighs 33lb per cubic foot[, ]. It is not used commercially[]. It has sometimes been used been by cabinet makers for inlay material[].
The wood is sometimes used for fuel[].

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.
Grafting is not usually advised for this species, though any cultivars can be grafted onto rootstocks of the species.