HOUSE AND GARDEN 
November, 1909 
1 73 
species, extending along the 
high lands as far south as 
Georgia. 
The leaves of the Moun¬ 
tain Maple are smaller than 
those of the Moosewood, and 
there are more of them on 
the twigs. After the leaves 
fall in the autumn the smaller 
branches have a distinct and 
characteristic crimson color, 
while, near at hand, one 
notices that this red bark is 
covered with a whitish pubes¬ 
cence. Before falling, the 
leaves turn to a deep red. Be¬ 
cause of its beauty of color¬ 
ing, its hardiness, its free¬ 
dom from disease, and its low 
growth, the Mountain Maple 
deserves a wider and more ex¬ 
tensive use for ornamentation and planting in shrubbery groups. 
In summer the Striped Maple or Moosewood (so called because 
that animal feeds upon the leaves and branches) is readily dis¬ 
tinguished by its large, goosefoot-like leaves, with thin blades 
and an intricate network of veins. The upper side of the leaf 
is dark, yellow-green, the underside being much lighter and thinly 
marked by short red hairs. At the time of falling, the leaves turn 
bright yellow. In the winter the bark is marked by pale delicate 
stripings on the red or green surface. A characteristic of the 
Moosewood is the wide angle which divides each pair of key fruits. 
The Sugar Maple can be easily recognized at any season of the 
year. In winter the opposite branches, tipped with sharply 
pointed conical buds, tell the story; in summer the broad leaves, 
well rounded in the angles dividing the three main lobes, and 
lacking the milky stem juices of the Norway Maple, mark the 
species; in autumn the brilliant red, orange, and yellow of the 
leaves give the clue. Rock Maple and Hard Maple are other 
names applied to the Sugar Maple, which is fortunately one of the 
most widely planted of our shade trees. 
The Silver or White Maple has also been extensively planted 
as a shade tree. The white under surfaces of the leaves, and the 
deep, wish-bone shaped divisions between the lobes are character¬ 
istic marks. In the valley of the Ohio River the tree attains a 
height of over a hundred feet, with a trunk three or four feet in 
diameter, but through the Northern part of its range the tree is 
smaller. Blooming very early, usually in March, the pollen¬ 
bearing flowers are greenish yellow, and the seed-bearing flowers 
are usually greenish but sometimes conspicuous for their crimson 
scales and pistil ends. Although the quick-growing Silver Maple 
is considered one of the best 
trees for street and orna¬ 
mental planting, it has long, 
ungainly limbs that break in 
the wind; and it also has 
the fault of being a host for 
the Maple-tree bark-louse. 
The Red Maple is appro¬ 
priately named. In winter 
the bark of the twigs is red; 
in spring the same color ap¬ 
pears in the blossoms; in 
summer it is in the key 
fruits; and in autumn the 
red leaves are the tree’s 
magnificent banner. In the 
leaves the angles between the 
lobes are not deep, and both 
lobes and angles are acute. 
Swamp Maple, Scarlet Maple, 
and Soft Maple are other 
names given this most conspicuous tree of our American landscape. 
It is a lowland tree, found in swamps and along river banks. 
I he rich olive green of the twigs in autumn and winter is 
one of the distinguishing traits of the Ash-leaved Maple, or Box 
Elder. It is the exception to the rule of simple-leaved species in 
the Maple family, for each leaf has from three to seven leaflets, 
usually marked by curiously unsymmetrical forms. After the 
leaves fall in October the long clusters of key fruits remain, 
thickly clothing the branches, until gradually whipped off by the 
winter winds. The Box Elder is noted for rapid growth, dense 
foliage, good coloring and comparative freedom from disease. 
With age, however, it shows a variable growth and some untidi¬ 
ness. 
Still another maple that has been extensively planted as a 
shade tree in the Eastern States is the European Sycamore Maple. 
It is vigorous, hardy, free from disease, attractive throughout 
the year and furnishing in summer a dense shade. The leaves 
are somewhat like the Red Maple in outline, but much denser in 
texture and with broader lobes towards the tip. The veins, too, 
are quite distinct, particularly on the under surface, and show 
fine hairs along their sides. The upper side of the leaf is a dark 
green, the under surface being distinctly lighter, and they turn 
yellow in autumn. 
We owe the Norway Maple also to Europe, and it has proven 
itself a thrifty, hardy species in this country. The thin leaves, 
green on both sides, remain on the tree considerably later than do 
those of any of the native maples. Resembling in lobing the 
leaves of the Sugar Maple, those of the Norway Maple have basal 
lobes that extend much further out. But the sure test lies in 
breaking of a leaf stem; if a milky juice slowly exudes, 
the tree is a Norway Maple. Like the Moosewood, 
the Norway has its key fruits joined at an extremely wide 
angle, and the handsome pale green clusters form no 
small part of the tree’s claim to a widespread popularity. 
I he Norway Maple has a very dense and round 
head and is excellent for lawn use. It is rather too 
low-headed, however, for street use, although the 
photograph at the top of this column shows an at¬ 
tractive street with a row of these trees on each side. 
The Japanese Maple is a shrub or small tree of 
dense though graceful habit. The foliage is particu¬ 
larly beautiful, especially in the spring when it shows 
delicate shades of green and red, and again in the 
autumn when the leaves assume the most striking tints. 
Japanese Maples grow best in partly shaded situations 
and in well drained, rich soil. 
Japanese. Mountain. Red. Sugar 
The photographs show the upper part of the leaf above, the under side below 
The Red Maple is also known as the 
Swamp Maple, the Scarlet Maple 
and the Soft Maple 
The Norway Maple makes one of the 
best trees for lawn use. It is rather 
low-headed for street use 
