Montpellier maple Acer monspessulanum

Features

A tree. Living space - bright stone karst forest, ornamental species.

Species	Trees (Macrofanerophytes)
Living space	Deciduous forest
Size	from 6 to 7 m

Description

It grows on average from 6-7 meters high, and exceptionally even up to 20 meters and has a large and wide crown. The trunk of the tree is flat and covered with a gray-yellow bark, which is smooth in young trees and longitudinally cracked in old ones. Young shoots are reddish-gray, thin and smooth. From them develop leaves, which are the smallest of all types of maples, reaching only 3-6 cm in length and 3-7 cm in width. They are mounted on 2-5 cm long stalks. The smooth leathery leaves are trifoliate, as evidenced by the Slovenian name of the plant, on the upper side they are bright green, and on the lower darker green. Bisexual flowers are small, greenish yellow and grouped in small inflorescences. The tree blooms before leafing, and from the fertilized flowers develop winged 2-3 cm long hanging seeds that grow in pairs. The wings are turned down and the base is tapered. It thrives in bright places and tolerates drought well. It reproduces by seeds carried by the wind. It grows best on limestone and rocky ground. Wood is the hardest and densest of all maple species. It is reddish in color and has no major economic value.