Acer sterculiaceum
| Acer sterculiaceum | |
| Light: |   |
| Moisture: |  |
| Hardiness: | 8 |
| Soil pH: | 5.6-8.4 |
| Height: | 20' |
| Open Woods Forest | |
| Native to: | |
| Tea: | Yes |
Acer sterculiaceum
Propagation: Seed is seldom available for this species. when obtained, it is best sown as soon as it is ripe in a cold frame, it usually germinates in the following spring. Pre-soak stored seed for 24 hours and then stratify for 2 - 4 months at 1 - 8°c. It can be slow to germinate. The seed can be harvested 'green' (when it has fully developed but before it has dried and produced any germination inhibitors) and sown immediately. It should germinate in late winter. If the seed is harvested too soon it will produce very weak plants or no plants at all[1][2]. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and grow them on until they are 20cm or more tall before planting them out in their permanent positions.
Layering, which takes about 12 months, is successful with most species in this genus. This species, however, has brittle branches and so it can be difficult to find suitable branches to layer.
Cuttings of young shoots in June or July. The cuttings should have 2 - 3 pairs of leaves, plus one pair of buds at the base. Remove a very thin slice of bark at the base of the cutting, rooting is improved if a rooting hormone is used. The rooted cuttings must show new growth during the summer before being potted up otherwise they are unlikely to survive the winter. Cuttings of this species are almost impossible to root.
Grafting can be quite difficult because there are no suitable rootstocks in this section of the genus. Scions of A. pseudoplatanus can be used and are more or less successful.
Cultivation: Of easy cultivation, it prefers a good moist well-drained soil[11[ in a sunny position, but tolerates some shade[3][4]. 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.
This species is not very hardy in Britain and is unlikely to succeed outside the milder parts of the country. Forms from the W. Himalayas are likely to be the hardiest.
Most maples are bad companion plants, inhibiting the growth of nearby plants[5][6].
Range: E. Asia - Himalayas from Kashmir to Bhutan.
Habitat: Forests at altitudes between 2100 - 3900 metres[7].
Usage: The leaves are packed around apples, rootcrops etc to help preserve them[5][6].
Wood - close grained, moderately hard, beautifully mottled. Used mainly for fuel[8].
Pollinators: Insects
Soil: Can grow in light, medium, and heavy soils.
Drainage: Prefers well drained soil.
Flower Type: Dioecious
Heavy Clay: Grows in heavy-clay soils.
Also Known As: A. villosum. Wallich.
Links
References
- ↑ McMillan-Browse, Philip. Hardy Woody Plants from Seed. Grower Books, 1985.
- ↑ Dirr, Michael and Charles Heuser. The Reference Manual of Woody Plant Propagation. Athens Ga. Varsity Press, 1987.
- ↑ Bean, William. Trees and Shrubs Hardy in Great Britain. Murray, 1981.
- ↑ Huxley, Anthony. The New Royal Horticultural Society Dictionary of Gardening. MacMillan Press, 1992.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Philbrick, Helen and Richard Gregg. Companion Plants. Watkins, 1979.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Riotte, Louise. Carrots Love Tomatoes. Garden Way, 1978.
- ↑ Polunin, Oleg and Adam Stainton. Flowers of the Himalayas. Oxford Universtiy Press, 1984.
- ↑ Gupta, Basant. Forest Flora of Chakrata, Dehra Dun and Saharanpur. Forest Research Institute Press, 1945.