By Mikey and Will
Quick facts:
Common name: field maple
Scientific name: Acer campestre
Family: Sapindaceae
Origin: native
Look out for:
Identified in winter by:
What do maple trees look like?
Leaves
Small, dark green and shiny, with five lobes and rounded teeth. They fade to a rich, golden yellow before falling in autumn.
Flowers
The flowers appear to be hermaphrodite, meaning that both male and female reproductive parts are contained within one flower. The flowers are small, yellow-green, cup-shaped and hang in clusters
Fruits
After pollination by insects, flowers develop into large, winged fruits which are dispersed by wind.
Mythology, stories and symbolism
In parts of Europe, it was thought that maple branches hung around a doorway stopped bats entering.
