This beautiful plant adorns different regions of the Earth. Maples in large numbers inhabit the parks and gardens of Russia and delight the eye with their unique beauty at any time of the year. Although almost all of its species are unique and attractive in the shape and color of their leaves, they look especially original in the fall.
General Maple Information
Maples are deciduous trees or shrubs (5-40 meters in height), a characteristic feature of which are symmetrical leaves and the variety of their shades in the autumn season.
Autumn maple is a tree from which it is impossible to take your eyes off. Often, people passing by have a desire to capture it in their memory for a long time. In total there are about 150 different species, with each of them having its own characteristics and growing conditions. Maple flowers, arranged vertically in inflorescences, are yellow, green and red. It primarily depends on the type of plant. Ripe fruits contain seeds, and they are collected in clusters of winged. Maples are self-pollinating plants, good melliferous plants. They grow fast enough.
Spread
Autumn maple is an adornment of many corners of the globe. The plant is distinguished by its unpretentiousness, therefore it is suitable even for beginner gardeners.
In Eurasia and North America, they mainly grow in temperate latitudes, but in Asia they are found in the tropics. You can find them in the mountains of Borneo and on the island of Sumatra, as well as in the Philippines and Malaysia. Some varieties of maple grow in the Mediterranean. These trees can be found in Japan. Maple grows especially extensively in the provinces of China: Hubei, Yunnan, Sichuan. There are suggestions that these places are also the place of origin of the plant, from where the further settlement of the species began.
Maple is considered a mountain plant, but some of its species are also common on the plains. Many of them are quite suitable for cultivation under fertile conditions in Russian cities (middle lane).
Maples are relatively heat-loving plants, especially Japanese and Chinese species. However, many of them fully withstand the northern winters of Russia. As a rule, in nature they do not form any continuous plantings. Trees grow interspersed with other broad-leaved species, a little less often - with conifers. Therefore, autumn maple in the forest is a relatively rare, but surprisingly beautiful bright spot among other vegetation.
Some varieties
We list the main varieties that can be found around the world:
- Red maple - a tree 10-20 meters high, 4-7 meters wide. The crown of the fast-growing maple is large, compact, and the bark is flaky, dark gray. The five-lobed leaves during blooming have a beautiful bronze color, they turn green in the summer, and in the fall they acquire amazing decorativeness: red-purple or orange - the upper side, pinkish-silver - the lower. And fragrant flowers in this species have a red tint, and they bloom even before the leaves. Under natural conditions, this maple is found in North America (eastern regions) in wetlands.
- Fan maple (dunate) - a slowly growing shrub (height - 4-6 meters) with an umbrella-shaped round crown. With age, the plant grows in width. Young shoots are green or purple. The leaves are palm-lobed, graceful, over time they acquire a bright red hue. Autumn leaves of maple are very beautiful - purple. It is found in nature in Korea, Japan, and the central and eastern parts of China.
- Manchurian maple - a beautiful slender tree up to 20 meters high, with a rounded, highly placed openwork crown. His bark is light gray with small cracks. Elegant complex, ternate leaves in spring have a reddish-orange color, in the summer they are dark green, and in the fall they are purplish red. Manchu maple in nature grows in Korea, Primorsky Krai and China (northeast).
- Greenfin maple is a tree or a very large shrub up to 15 meters high with a wide spherical crown. This species is distinguished by its decorative bark. In young plants, it is green, but on an old tree it is gray. Autumn leaf of maple is golden yellow. It is found in nature in mixed forests with moist soil in Korea, the Primorsky Territory and in the northeast of China.
- Ashenel maple (or American) is an asymmetric tree, characterized by its rapid growth. Height - 10-15 meters, crown width - 5-10 meters. Green leaves become yellowish green in the fall. Shoots - green, with a bluish tinge of wax. It is found in nature in central North America.
- Bearded maple is a relatively small tree or shrub (4 to 10 meters in height) with a spreading crown. Five-lobed leaves are slightly pubescent from above. Their length can reach 10 cm. Autumn maple leaf has a yellow-orange hue. In vivo grows in North Korea, Primorsky Krai and northeastern China.
Maples of Russia
In addition to the above species, it is also worth noting more heat-loving plants that are not used in landscaping gardens and parks in central Russia, but are not bad at rooting in the southern territories of the country:
- hornbeam;
- maple of David;
- paper bark (or gray);
- Hyrcanic;
- Georgian;
- Japanese;
- light coloured;
- pubescent;
- Montpelian
- Stephen's Maple;
- Kalinolistny;
- four-dimensional;
- blunt velvety;
- Maple Troutvetter.
The color of the autumn maple of any of these species varies from yellow to rich red hues. The above is an incomplete list of maple varieties that perfectly take root in some parts of the vast territory of Russia.
Norway maple (plane-shaped)
Holly maple is a traditional symbol of autumn in Russia. Its leaves are large, they have a five-pointed, carved and very beautiful shape. Thanks to its unique shape and colors, it is easy to find among all the autumn splendor. Autumn maple leaf is a real miracle.
This fast-growing tree can reach a height of up to 20-30 meters, and a width of up to 8-15 m. The crown of such a maple is dense and round. Young trees have a smooth, reddish-gray bark. In older plants, it is usually darker, and sometimes becomes almost black. Deep cracks can also be seen on it. Leaves are green, five-lobed. In the fall, their color changes from orange-yellow to red. Flowers bloom simultaneously with leaves in mid-May.
In nature, this species is common throughout Europe. The acutifolia maple is not picky and can grow on any forest and garden lands, except acidic and sandy. In addition, it does not tolerate excessive salinization and stagnation of moisture in the soil. The type of maple is quite resistant to cold winds.
The Caucasus and the European part of Russia are considered his homeland.
Today there is a huge variety of decorative forms and varieties of maple, which are used for growing in parks and gardens.
Description of Autumn Maple
In summer, maples skillfully camouflage themselves in an emerald green mass. But in the fall, forests and parks are painted in completely different colors. Especially against the background of the total mass, bright maple trees with leaves of a peculiar shape stand out.
With the onset of late autumn in the gardens, parks, groves and forests, trees are exposed in anticipation of winter. But even at this time of year, bright colors have not yet been wiped off the face of the earth. They are underfoot. Yellow, orange, brown, red, burgundy and even green leaves cover the nondescript dark ground with an amazing bright carpet. They sparkle in the rays of the autumn, but still warm sun. Of particular beauty, of course, maple leaves sparkle. Some are even cast in gold. And they all surprisingly differ not only in their shade, but also in the skillful carving. This is a real miracle of nature.
Autumn maple is always in sight. In this case, one tree can be covered with a whole palette of colors, but the red tint almost always dominates. Maple for a long time pleases with its beauty and splendor, because it does not immediately surrender to winter. Its crown remains untouched until late autumn.
Application
Autumn maple is one of the most beautiful deciduous trees. It looks great on the house and summer cottage, in city parks and alleys. The plant is used both in tapeworms and in group plantings. For example, dwarf maple is good in rocky gardens - rock gardens and rockeries. Low trees of this species are suitable for the Japanese garden. Tatar maple is often used to create living walls and hedges.
And in mixed plantings, maple is used, for example, along with conifers. Higher views can be planted in the garden next to the future seating area.
Bouquet with autumn maple branches
Any room can decorate a bouquet of maple leaves. To do this, it is best to collect them in the early morning.
At night, the autumn wind tears leaves from maple trees and scatters them on the ground, so in the morning you can collect leaves that are not yet damaged, which will not have black dots or any dark spots. Toward evening, only shriveled and sluggish maple leaves remain.
