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By Małgorzata Godlewska
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Norway maple (Acer platanoides L. ) is the most widespread native maple in Europe. The species is more likely to vary in distinctive and desirable ways than are many other maples. Its ornamental cultivars are primarily landscape urban trees. Many cultivated varieties have been selected for distinctive leaf shapes or colourations and interesting growth forms. According to older European literature the earliest cultivation of Norway maple, at least in UK, probably occurred at the Edinburgh Botanic Garden, where James Sutherland included a form of Norway maple in his Hortus Medicus Edinburgensis of 1683. Selection of variations in Norway maple seemed to reach a peak in the late 1800's. They were selected mostly in Germany, France and Belgium. Many of these cultivars are still available in the trade, but others are now restricted to botanic gardens and private collections and some variants extinct. Here is a review of some historical cultivars of Norway maple described in the literature up to 1900.
'Acuminatum'
Leaves with lobes and teeth much narrower than the type, more acuminated. The cultivar was fi rst described in 1893 by the German dendrologist and acerologist Fritz Graf von Schwerin (1856-1934) in the journal " Gartenfl ora Zeitschrift". Van Gelderen et al. (1994) mention that it is not available in the trade. Polish dendrologist Wł odzimierz Seneta (1991) states that it does not diff er much from the type and can also be found in the wild. Then maybe it should be considered as a form f. acuminatum.
Acer platanoides ’Acuminatum’ from Schwerin (1893)
'Adspersum'
Leaves of a typical shape and size, but young leaves with small, red, sharply defi ned specks of various sizes. Described by Schwerin in 1893. It is considered an indiff erent cultivar (Krussmann 1984).
'Albescens'
A cultivar fi rst mentioned in 1885 by the German botanist Georg Dieck (1847-1925) and described by Schwerin in 1893. Leaves cream- white at bud break, but turn green after a few days. The peculiarity is that the leaves developing in summer are not white but green with a red tinge. According to Schwerin, plants whose growth is stunted, e. g. after replanting in a given year, will produce normally green leaves even in spring. The cultivar is probably no longer in cultivation (van Gelderen et al. 1994).
'Albo-dentatum'
The cultivar described by Schwerin in 1893. Young leaves normal in spring, then mostly three-lobed on summer shoots, with notched, as if gnawed margins, white pulverulent, with hair-like thin white teeth; rounded leaves also appear, almost without lobes; in August the leaves are normal again.
Acer platanoides ’Albo-dentatum’ from Schwerin (1893)
'Albo-variegatum'
Leaves normal in shape, vary in color: apart from variegated, they are also pure white, white half and half with green and white with a small green center. The border between white and green is often a beautiful gray-green color. Similar to 'Bicolor' but the irregular spots on the leaves are initially light pink, not light yellow. The cultivar was mentioned for the fi rst time by
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▲ ’Albo-variegatum’ similar form with irregular leaves from Makowiecki (1925); ▼ ’Foliis Variegatis’ from Krauss (1802) - probably equal to ’Albo-variegatum’.
German botanist Friedrich Gottlob Hayne (1763-1832) in the work ''Dendrologische Flora der Umgegend und der Garten Berlins” in 1822. Described by Nicholson in 1881 (“leaves irregulary blotched in white”) and by Schwerin in 1893. Schwerin gives 'Quadricolor' Dieck as a synonym. Santamour and McArdle (1982) suggests that 'Albo-variegatum' does not diff er from 'Variegatum' mentioned by Weston in 1770. Perhaps it was also known by other names: " A. pl. fol. elegantissimo var. has beautiful, white speckled leaves ”(Makowiecki 1937) - but they were probably diff erent cultivars, judging from Makowiecki's drawing ( Makowiecki 1925 ). Unfortunately, the variegated forms of the Norway maple easily revert, so many variegated cultivars have not survived to this day, and descriptions and fi gures do not always make it possible to precisely determine which names are synonyms.
'Argutum'
A cultivar similar to 'Laciniatum': leaves green, deeply incised, margins of the leaves curved inward, but the lobes in the plane of the blade, not rolled. The youngest leaves with a brownish tinge. Thin, shiny dark brown-red shoots. A slow-growing tree. Described by Schwerin in 1893. No longer known in cultivation (van Gelderen et al. 1994).
Acer platanoides ’Argutum’ from Schwerin (1893)
'Aureo-marginatum'
L e a v e s w i t h n a rro w y e l l o w m a rg i n s, asymmetrical, often deformed, 3-lobed, lobes deeply incised, with narrow and pointed teeth. Similar to 'Wittmackii', but the young leaves are light green (not copper), only slightly pink stained, and the lobes do not have brown teeth. " Leaves slightly smaller than the type, often distorted and 3-lobed, with long and narrow teeth, irregularly narrowly yellow-edged (initially the margins are pinkish)" (Seneta 1991). " A. pl. fol. aureo marginatis has leaves with a broad yellow margin ”(Makowiecki 1937). First mentioned in the catalog of Milford's nurseries in Surrey, England in 1874 (Santamour, McArdle 1982). Described by Schwerin in 1893. Maybe 'Aureo-marginatum' and the following cultivars were the same: 'Heterophyllum Aureo- variegatum' included in 1880 in the catalog of Baudriller's nursery in Angers, France, 'Heterophyllum Variegatum' mentioned by Nicholson in 1881 (“Leaves generally 3-Iobed, lobes slightly toothed, or quite entire; when 5- lobed the basal lobes generally smaller than the others. Margins of leaves pale yellow”), and 'Heterophyllum foliis marginatis' mentioned by Dieck's catalog in 1885 (Santamour & McArdle 1982). 'Aureo-marginatum' was listed in the nurseries of Denizot in Poznań, Poland in 1890
’Aureo-marginatum’ from Makowiecki (1925) described as
fol. aureo marginatis.
(Seneta 1991). The variety is probably no longer in cultivation (van Gelderen et al. 1994). Somewhat similar to 'Drummondii' (Schwerin, 1910) – now widely planted, with a wide creamy- white (not yellow) leaf margin, symmetrical leaves, and more typical shape of lobes and teeth.
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'Aureo-variegatum'
Leaves with large golden-yellow specks; the color of young leaves only faintly reddish. The cultivar is derived from Muskau Arboretum, on the border of Poland and Germany. Described by Schwerin in 1893. Maybe a synonym of 'Flavo-variegatum', mentioned by Hayne in 1822 (Santamour, McArdle 1982). Probably lost in cultivation (van Gelderen et al. 1994).
'Bicolor'
Leaves normal in shape, green with large white spots. The spots at fi rst are light yellow (not pink), but very soon turn pure white. Cultivar described by Schwerin in 1893. Apparently no longer in cultivation (van Gelderen et al. 1994).
'Brevilobum'
The cultivar described by Schwerin in 1896: a form found by Mr. Jannicke in Mainz, with slightly smaller than usual leaves with unusually shallow lobes - especially in the middle lobe.
Acer platanoides ’Buntzelii’ from Wittmack (1880)
Considered not much diff erent from the species (van Gelderen et al. 1994).
'Buntzelii'
Leaves at bud break dark reddish brown with coppery orange specks turning soon to brilliant golden yellow; the leaf veins remain red. Like 'Pueckleri' it was described as one of the most colorful cultivars of Norway maple. The cultivar mentioned for the fi rst time in 1880 by the German botanist Ludwig Wittmack (1839-1929) as var. aureo-variegatum Buntzleri. It was named after Max Buntzel (1850–1907), director o f t h e R o y a l G a r d e n s o f B e r l i n - Niederschoeneweide - but Wittmack made a mistake in the name (spelling of the surname). In the catalog of Simon-Louis Freres's nurseries in Metz, France, from 1886/87, the cultivar is mentioned as 'Max Buntzel' (Santamour, McArdle 1982). Schwerin (1893) corrected the name as buntzeli. Currently given as 'Buntzelii', with some dendrologists sticking to the mistaken original name. In Poland it was listed in Hoser's nurseries in 1896 (Seneta 1991). Probably no longer cultivated (van Gelderen et al. 1994).
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