Hedge Maple
Once popular in Europe and the United Kingdom, the hedge maple is an ornamental tree that's no longer widely planted in North America due to its invasive tendencies. It's commonly found in the very oldest hedge rows across the United Kingdom, suggesting that these hedge rows are actually remnants of woodlands that grew prior to the clearing of the land for farming and grazing. There are just a handful of hedge maples in Central Park. The leaves of the hedge maple have rounded points unlike almost all other maples.
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Leaves
2-4 inches wide, opposite arrangement, three to five lobed leaves -
Fruit
Pairs of samara join to form a nearly straight line, nutlet often pubescent -
Flower
Small, yellow-green, bloom in May -
Bark
Grayish-black, shallow ridges and furrows, resembles bark of Norway maple (Acer platanoides)
