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Acer pseudoplatanus

Scientific name	:	Acer pseudoplatanus
Common name	:	Planetree maple, sycamore maple, great maple, sycamore, plane, mock plane, grand érable, faux sycamore, faux platane
Family	:	Aceraceae
Origin	:	Europe and western Asia
Description	:	Both the scientific name and some of the common names suggest that the Acer pseudoplatanus has characteristics (primarily the leaves) that resemble those of the sycamores or planetrees, which are in the genus platanus. The trees usually peak in the 40 to 60 ft height range, but trees over 100 ft exist. The leaves are generally 5-lobed, but are sometimes 3-lobed and are 3 to 6.5 inches across. There is some discrepancy in the literature about the flowers. Most works describe the flowers on pendulous structures (racemes or panicles). Howes[8] describes the flowers as being “arranged in groups of three in long pendant racemes.” He goes on to say, “Usually the centre flower is perfect and develops into the seed while the two lateral ones are male only.” Dirr[6], however, states that the flowers are perfect and borne in upright panicles 2 to 6 inches long. He then goes on to say that the flowers become pendulous as the fruits develop. I judge that he means that the structure on which the flowers are borne becomes pendulous, rather than the individual flowers themselves, for they are no longer flowers once they have become fruits.
Distribution	:	Dirr considers it a zone 4 to 7 species.
Blooming period	:	Fernald gives the composite blooming date for the species over its natural range as May to June.
Importance	:	In Europe where the species is quite common, it is thought well of by beekeepers for stimulating brood rearing[8].
Honey potential	:	Honey potential....................................178 lbs/per acre. Nectar secretion....................................0.41 to 1.16 mg/floret/day Total nectar secretion (male) ...............4.87 mg/floret Total nectar secretion (female) ............5.92 mg/floret Sugar secretion .....................................0.31 to 0.58 mg/floret per day Total sugar secretion (male) .................2.56 mg/floret Total sugar secretion (female) ..............1.90 mg/floret The nectar flow lasts for 2 to 3 weeks, which is relatively long for maples.
Honey	:	Honey from the species has a Pfund rating of amber with sometimes a greenish cast, possibly due to honeydew which is quite common on this species. When fresh, the honey has a poor flavor and is even described as rank, but improves upon curing. The aroma is unremarkable [5 and 8]. It granulates slowly and the crystals are reported to range in size from fine to coarse, suggesting that either the honeys reported upon were from different floral mixes or that the crystallization conditions were different. See comments by David Green below.
Pollen	:	The pollen value is rated medium to minor. The pollen is greenish yellow; the pollen loads are large (7.97mg) and greenish [5].
Additional information	:	Acer pseudoplatanus is considered a moderately fast growing tree. It grows to a height of 10 to 12 ft in 5 to 8 years and a maximum of 60 ft in 20 years. In the area of its origin it grows in woods, hedges, along streams and in the mountains. It is tolerant of a wide array of soil types, but prefers well-drained soils and is intolerant of waterlogged, anaerobic soil conditions. The species does well in exposed areas including seashores, where many other species would fail. It is shade intolerant. At least in Europe, honeydew is common. The species does best in cooler climates and does not do well in the Southern U. S.[6]. It has not done well at the Morton Arboretum, a little south and west of Chicago, where it experiences serious dieback and is short-lived[11]. Many cultivars have been developed. The species is very popular in Europe. For fall color, there are many better maple choices since the species’ major color in autumn is a drab brown, possibly with tinges of yellow here and there. At least in the U. S. it is not considered to be valuable for lumber[16].
Reference	:	1. Ayers, G. S. 2003. Understanding the Other Side of Beekeeping. Part 2--Completing the model. American bee Journal 143:886-890. 2. Barnes, B. V. and W. H. Wagner. 1981. Michigan Trees. A guide to the trees of Michigan and the Great Lakes Region. The University of Michigan Press. Ann Arbor, MI. 3. Billington, C. 1977. Shrubs of Michigan. Cranbrook Institute of Science. Bulletin 20 (Second Edition). Cranbrook Institute of Science. Bloomfield Hills, MI. 4. Crane, E. (Editor) 1975. Honey a Comprehensive Survey. Crane, Russak & Co. Inc. New York. 5. Crane, E., P Walker and R. Day. 1984. Directory of Important World Honey Sources. International Bee Research Association. London 6. Dirr, M. A. 1990 Manual of woody Landscape plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Use. Stipes Publishing Company. Champaign, IL. 7. Fernald, M. L.1950. Gray's Manual of Botany (8th Ed.). D. Van Nostrand Company. New York. 8. Howes, E. N. 1979. Plants and Beekeeping. Faber and Faber. London 9. Larsson, H. C.and R. Shuel (C. D. Scott-Dupree Ed.) 1990. Nectar Trees, Shrubs and Herbs of Ontario. Ontario Ministry of Agriculture and Food Publication 82.Queens Printer for Ontario. 10. Lovell, J. H. 1926, Honey Plants of North America. A. I. Root Co. Medina, OH. 11. Morton Arboretum Staff, 1990. Woody Plants of The Morton Arboretum. The Morton Arboretum. Lisle, IL. 12. Oertel, E. 1939. Honey and Pollen Plants of the United States. U.S.D.A. Circular 554. Government Printing Office, Washington D. C. 13. Pammel, L. H., and C. M. King. 1930. Honey Plants of Iowa. Iowa Geological Survey Nol 7. Iowa Geological Survey. 14. Pellett, F. C. 1976. American Honey Plants. Dadant and sons. Hamilton, IL. 15. "Rehder, A. 1990. Manual of Cultivated Trees and Shrubs Hardy in North America Exclusive of the Subtropical and Warmer Temperate Regions. Dioscorides Press. Portland, OR. " 16. USDA, NRCS. The PLANTS Database, Version 3.5 (http://plants.usda.gov). National Plant Data Center, Baton Rouge, LA 70874-4490 USA.