frequently asked questions

The Maple Society is an international community dedicated to promoting the culture of all species within the genus Acer. Our goals include increasing public awareness of maples, promoting education, and actively supporting the environmental protection, scientific study, and conservation of maple species.

If you are a maple enthusiast, expert, or amateur who wishes to share or gain knowledge, support the conservation, and promote the culture of all species within the genus Acer, there is no better place to find a like-minded community. Membership in the Maple Society comes with a wealth of benefits. On a global level, these include: A high quality, full color, quarterly newsletter. Articles include: the latest on the Society activities, news on the latest cultivar introductions, scientific discoveries about species, conservation news, and much more (includes access to over 30 years of newsletters in our archive). Opportunities to join exclusive international events, which tour the great gardens and nurseries of the world with expert guides. Tri-annual International Symposiums. Access to international language-local Zoom classes, held in English, French and Spanish (including access to previously recorded events). An opt-in list of members willing to share their gardens with you, or just get together to talk about maples. Additional benefits are available from the local branches of The Maple Society, including: Discounts at nurseries and other maple resellers. Local educational events and classes (currently being held via Zoom). Private tours of local gardens and nurseries. Access to local experts. Local social get-togethers and networking. Regional meetings. The ability to shape the organization through your vote(s). The opportunity to place an ad about your business in the newsletter (depending on your membership level). The opportunity to blog about your maple knowledge or experiences.

We recommend joining a branch of the Maple Society within the region where you live. For those who live outside of these regions, or in areas with only a few members, you should join the branch best able to provide the things you are interested in / would like to do. All members, regardless of which branch they are a member of, will receive both local branch benefits as well as global society benefits, including our magazine-style quarterly newsletters, and member-only access to comprehensive databases of species, cultivars and photographs of maples. Click on one of the following branches to learn more: North American Branch Serving all of Canada, the United States, and Mexico Britain and Ireland Branch Spanish Branch - coming soon! French Branch - coming soon!

A maple is a shrub or tree belonging to the genus Acer. They are characterised by having their leaves arranged oppositely and having winged seeds (called samaras), usually in pairs.

Maples have a fantastic range of colour, leaf-shape and size, bark features, general appearance, and autumn displays to make them some of our most outstanding garden plants. Given that they tolerate a variety of conditions, every garden should have at least one maple specimen, or perhaps two, or maybe three…

Maples are found across the Northern Hemisphere, generally in temperate zones with distinct seasons and annual rainfall above 800 mm per year. They grow as far north as Hokkaido in the east, and southern Alaska in the west. Some extend into the subtropical and tropical regions of Asia and one, Acer laurinum, even grows south of the equator on the island of Java in Indonesia. A current, comprehensive list of maple species and subspecies is available to members of the Maple Society.

No, several of those that come from the subtropical and tropical regions of Asia are evergreen. Unfortunately, they cannot be grown outdoors in much of Europe and North America. Some maples are deciduous in colder areas but can be evergreen if grown in warmer climates.

Maples vary in size from small shrubs to sizeable trees with Acer saccharum reaching 40 m in height. Most cultivars however grow to about 6-10 m in height.

A cultivar is a variety of a plant that has been produced in cultivation. Cultivars are often selected because they look different or have an attractive feature such as leaf shape or colour or grow differently. There are many thousands of named maple cultivars, especially of those known as “Japanese Maples.” A comprehensive database of named maple cultivars, complete with identifying photographs, is currently being developed for members of the Maple Society.

Many maple species and cultivars have spectacular autumn colours, but it can vary from region to region. Many cultivars ofAcer rubrum have been specially selected for their autumn display as have many “Japanese Maples”, but numerus other species and cultivars can be just as good or even better on occasion but perhaps not as reliably. The autumn tints range from yellows to oranges to reds to scarlets or even crimsons. Their autumn display can be the best of any shrub or tree.

There are over 20 maples species native to Japan but in cultivation the term “Japanese Maples” refers to cultivars of Acer palmatum, Acer amoenum (sometimes included a subspecies of Acer palmatum), Acer japonicum and Acer shirasawanum. Sometimes cultivars of the closely related species Acer sieboldianum and the North American one Acer circinatum are also included. Paradoxically the species Acer palmatum and Acer amoenum also occur naturally in China and Korea.

Maples can be grown from seed, cuttings (some), layers, or grafting onto closely related rootstock. Though most species can be readily grown from seed, (some can take a few seasons to germinate), cultivars need to be produced vegetatively with grafting on related rootstock most popular. This is why special cultivars can be expensive.

Most maples grow at the edges of forests so many do not like to be exposed to full sun all day especially those with large papery leaves.

This varies from species to species but once established, most maples will only need supplemental water during drought. Most maples with the exception of Acer rubrum and Acer saccharinum and their cultivars do not tolerate “wet feet” and will quickly die, even when well established. This is especially true of Acer palmatum and Japanese maples, which are usually grafted onto Acer palmatum rootstock.

There are many books and online resources about maples, but learning from others is often easier and better. Joining the Maple Society will immediately put you in contact with numerus experts on all aspects of the genus Acer. Individual Maple Society branches — including the Maple Society of North America and the Maple Society of Britain and Ireland — hold regular events, meetings, and tours of gardens and collections of maples where you can meet many like-minded people all happy to impart their experience and knowledge. Members also receive a variety of other benefits, including our magazine-style newsletters filled with information about maples, access to our cultivar database, and more.