Maple

About 150 species are included in this extremely diverse and useful genus for both garden architects and amateurs, occurring in the northern temperate zone of North America, Europe and Asia, and in the mountains of the tropics. These are deciduous park and avenue trees or small shrubs with leaves varying in shape, which in autumn turn a magnificent fiery red, especially the North American and East Asian species. Flowers in racemes or corymbs, especially decorative in early-flowering species. Two-winged fruits in some species also have high ornamental value. Most maples are undemanding and grow on any moist, fertile soil. However, it should be noted that Japanese fan-shaped maples and Асеr rubrum do not tolerate lime. This genus is exceptionally diverse in terms of growth rate, habit, bark color, shoots, leaf color and shape and autumn color, flowers and fruits; therefore it offers wide possibilities of use, as the following overview shows.