The widely planted Norway maple (Acer platanoides) is not my favourite tree. I wouldn’t mind so much if it would stick to its native range — from Scandinavia to Turkey — but in Canada, it’s quite rightly the poster child for the invasive species lobby. Shade-tolerant Norway maples have thick, dense canopies that cast an impermeable shadow, together with a tangle of surface … [Read more...] about Viking maples invade Canada
Maple
How to remove maple saplings?
Daniela in Bracebridge, Ont., asks: How do I permanently get rid of the hundreds of maple saplings (about 2 to 3 inches tall) that grew naturally from dropped keys? We recently purchased this house, and the backyard has suffered some neglect. Beckie’s reply: It sounds like the maple keys have germinated in bare soil. If that’s the case, just mow over them a few times; that … [Read more...] about How to remove maple saplings?
Small shrubs with autumn colour
The trees are just past the peak of their gorgeous autumn colours. But how many blazing red sugar maples can I pack into my front garden? Not many, in fact, none at all. I’ve been trying to find small shrubs (or shrubs I can trim to a reasonable size) that will take on bright autumn hues. My first effort was red chokeberry (Aronia arbutifolia, Zone 5), a leggy shrub with … [Read more...] about Small shrubs with autumn colour
