Japanese maples are bought for autumn colour and lost to wind. The fine-cut leaf that makes them beautiful is also thin enough to scorch brown at the edges in a dry east wind or an exposed sunny corner, and once scorched it stays that way until it falls.
So the whole of their care is a siting decision: shelter, dappled light, soil that never dries out, and a pot big enough that the root ball does not bake. Pruning barely comes into it — they bleed sap heavily if cut in spring, and most never need it.
Care
Tolerant of exposed sites, unlike the Japanese maple group.
Once established.
Adaptable, tolerates a wide range of soils including poor or compacted ground.
Minimal once established — formative pruning while young to establish a good branch structure; large specimens should only be pruned by a qualified arborist.
An established tree needs no feeding. A young one benefits from a mulched, grass-free circle round the base for its first few years — keeping grass off the root zone does more than fertiliser.
From seed: the winged keys sown outdoors in autumn germinate the following spring after natural cold. Expect variation, and be aware that a field maple or Norway maple seedling grows into a substantial tree.
Month by month
Months change with the climate: in southern Italy tomatoes go out two months earlier than in England.
- MarchPlant bare-root specimens this season if not already established. how ›
- SeptemberEnjoy autumn leaf colour, a key feature of this group.
- NovemberFormative pruning while young and dormant; use a professional arborist for mature trees. how ›
Months based on climate: UK. Your choice stays on this device.
- MarchPlant bare-root specimens this season if not already established. how ›
- SeptemberEnjoy autumn leaf colour, a key feature of this group.
- NovemberFormative pruning while young and dormant; use a professional arborist for mature trees. how ›
Months based on climate: Northern Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- FebruaryPlant bare-root specimens this season if not already established. how ›
- SeptemberEnjoy autumn leaf colour, a key feature of this group.
- NovemberFormative pruning while young and dormant; use a professional arborist for mature trees. how ›
Months based on climate: Central Italy. Your choice stays on this device.
- FebruaryPlant bare-root specimens this season if not already established. how ›
- OctoberEnjoy autumn leaf colour, a key feature of this group.
- DecemberFormative pruning while young and dormant; use a professional arborist for mature trees. how ›
Months based on climate: Southern Italy and islands. Your choice stays on this device.
Common problems
How to spot it. Black spots on leaves in late summer, mainly cosmetic.
What to do. Rake and dispose of fallen leaves; no treatment needed.
How to spot it. Sticky honeydew and sooty mould on cars and paths beneath the tree.
What to do. Largely cosmetic; tolerate or consider treatment for severe infestations.
Questions
Norway maple: is it hardy?
H7: Fully hardy anywhere in the UK. It survives below −20 °C.
Can it grow in a pot?
Large forest and street trees unsuited to any pot; ensure adequate space (many metres in all directions) before planting.
Norway maple: when do you prune it?
Minimal once established — formative pruning while young to establish a good branch structure; large specimens should only be pruned by a qualified arborist. In the calendar for UK, pruning falls in November.
When do you feed it?
An established tree needs no feeding. A young one benefits from a mulched, grass-free circle round the base for its first few years — keeping grass off the root zone does more than fertiliser.