Acer Pseudoplatanus - Cultivation and Uses

Cultivation and Uses

It is noted for its tolerance of wind, urban pollution and salt spray, which makes it a popular tree for planting in cities, along roads treated with salt in winter, and in coastal localities. It is cultivated and widely naturalised north of its native range in Northern Europe, notably in the British Isles and Scandinavia north to Tromsø, Norway (seeds can ripen as far north as Vesterålen); Reykjavík, Iceland; and Tórshavn on the Faroe Islands. It now occurs throughout the British Isles, having been introduced in the 17th century.

Ted Green (2005)(Citation needed, unverified reference) believes that the sycamore has been present in Britain since at least the Bronze Age citing that Sycamore pollen has often been confused with that of Field Maple in Bronze Age and Iron Age burials (Citation needed, unverified reference). He suggests that it should be renamed "Celtic Maple".

The lack of old native names for it has been used to demonstrate its absence in Britain before introduction in around 1487, but this is challenged by the presence of an old Scottish Gaelic name for the tree, fior chrann which suggests a longer presence in Scotland at least as far back as the Gaelic settlement at Dal Riada. This would make it either an archaeophyte (a naturalised tree introduced by humans before 1500) or perhaps native if it can be seen to have reached Scotland without human intervention.

At the moment it is usually classified as a neophyte, a plant that is naturalised but arrived with humans on or after the year 1500. It has been suggested that it could have been common up until Roman times when it went through a decline possibly brought about by climate change and human activities, surviving only in the mountains of Scotland.

In North America, escapes from cultivation are most common in New England, New York City and the Pacific Northwest. It is planted in many temperate parts of the Southern Hemisphere, most commonly in New Zealand and on the Falkland Islands.

The popular cultivar 'Brilliantissimum' is notable for the bright salmon-pink colour of the young foliage. This cultivar has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.

It is planted for timber production; the wood is white with a silky lustre, and hard-wearing, used for musical instrument making, furniture, wood flooring and parquetry. Occasional trees produce wood with a wavy grain, greatly increasing the value for decorative veneers. The wood is a medium weight for a hardwood, weighing 630 kg per cubic metre. It is a traditional wood for use in making the backs, necks and scrolls of violins. The wood is often marketed as rippled sycamore. Its uses are mainly indoor due to its perishability when in contact with soil.

The flowers produce abundant nectar, which makes a fragrant, delicately flavoured and pale-coloured honey.

It is also used as a species for medium to large bonsai, in many areas of Europe where some fine specimens can be found.