Acer ginnala
Maxim.
Amur maple
(c) Scott King, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
(c) Tom Scavo, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Tom Scavo
(c) jolly04, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC)
What to Eat
Edible parts: Leaves - tea
Young leaves can be used as a tea substitute.
Where to Find It
It is a temperate plant. It grows best in well-drained alkaline soils. It is resistant to frost and sensitive to drought. Hobart Botanical Gardens.
Asia, Australia, China, Japan, Manchuria, Slovenia, Tasmania,
How to Identify
A shrub or small tree. It grows 5 m tall. There are prickles along the stem. The leaves are twice divided and there are 8-18 pairs of pinnae. There are up to 50 pairs of pinnules on each pinnae. The flowers are yellow. They are in large clusters at the ends of branches. The pods are flattened.
How to Grow
Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil on the acid side. Prefers a sunny position but tolerates some shade. Grows well in heavy clay soils. Chlorosis can sometimes develop as a result of iron deficiency when the plants are grown in alkaline soils, but in general maples are not fussy as to soil pH. A very ornamental tree, there are some named varieties. The form 'Bailey Compact' is a compact form originating in N. America. Very closely related to and possibly only a ssp. of A. tataricum. The dried leaves are exported to China in large quantities for their use as a dye. Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants.
Propagation: Seed of garden origin rarely comes true to type. Sow as soon as ripe in a cold frame; germination typically occurs the following spring. Stored seed should be pre-soaked for 24 hours, then stratified for 2–4 months at 1–8°C. Germination can be slow. Seed can also be harvested green — fully developed but before drying and germination inhibitors form — and sown immediately for late-winter germination. Seed harvested too early produces very weak or no plants. Prick seedlings into individual pots once large enough to handle and grow on to 20cm or more before planting out permanently. Layering is successful with most species in this genus and takes about 12 months. Take cuttings of young shoots in June or July with 2–3 pairs of leaves plus one pair of buds at the base; remove a thin slice of bark at the base and use a rooting hormone for best results. Rooted cuttings must show new growth during summer before potting, otherwise they are unlikely to survive winter. This species roots fairly easily from cuttings.
Medicinal Uses
None known.
Other Uses
Leaves packed around apples, root crops, and similar produce help preserve them. Black, blue, and brown dyes are obtained from the dried leaves, which contain the dyestuff quercetin. The leaves also contain around 30% tannin.
Wikipedia
Source ↗A deciduous tree reaching 10m tall by 8m wide, growing rapidly with hermaphroditic flowers in May and seeds ripening September to October. Tolerates light sandy, medium loamy, and heavy clay soils; adapts to mildly acid through basic pH. Grows in semi-shade woodland or full sun, preferring moist soil conditions.
Notes
There are about 120-150 Acer species.
Names & Synonyms
Amurski javor
