Acer campestre Pulverulentum - Field Maple

Acer campestre 'Pulverulentum' is a cultivar of field maple whose leaves appear to be sprinkled with white to cream-yellow in spring. It forms more of a shrub than a tree, due to its not very tall, bushy growth. It is noticeable again in autumn, when its foliage turns orange-yellow. In the garden, it is an accommodating plant that adds a touch of charm to an informal hedge.

Acer campestre 'Pulverulentum' was obtained in Germany around 1859. It is a dwarf and variegated form of the field maple, a forest tree native to Europe, Asia Minor, and North Africa. This 'Pulverulentum' variety develops multiple trunks and a bushy branching structure. It is slow-growing and will reach a height of 2.5m with a width of about 2m if not pruned. The deciduous foliage of this maple is composed of smaller leaves than those of the species, showing 3 to 5 lobes. When they appear in spring, their colour is an intensely speckled or spotted green with cream-white to pale yellow. In summer, they become greener, while the young leaves are variegated. Autumn and the first cold weather colours the foliage in varying shades of golden yellow to coppery or orange. The very discreet flowering takes place in spring, at the same time as the leaves emerge. The small flowers are greenish and grouped in corymbs. Winged, often reddish fruits, called samaras then form. The wings of this fruit are opposite and perfectly aligned. The field maple forms the hardest wood that can be found in this genus. Its bark is pale grey and fissured. The branches of young plants frequently show a corky, ribbed, insulating, and channelled bark, used for making perches for poultry, which has earned it the popular name "chicken wood".

Field Maple 'Pulverulentum' is a large accommodating shrub, it grows in any ordinary soil, even chalky and fairly dry, as long as it is deep enough. Avoid excessively hot exposures to protect its variegated foliage. It will be enhanced by shrubs with dark foliage, such as purple-leaved weigela, for example. A bed of 'Rozanne' geraniums with long-lasting blue flowers will form an elegant combination with its variegated foliage. In a country hedge, it can be mixed with autumn-coloured spindle trees, Japanese quinces, and white-flowering spireas.