Acer platanoides Novush - Miniature Norway Maple

Acer platanoides 'Novush' is a variety of miniature Norway Maple, which does not exceed 1.5m in height at 15 years old. Its attractive cut and elongated, dark green foliage is also small. On a short trunk, it slowly develops an irregular and bushy crown. In all gardens, in flower beds and rockeries, it can replace a Japanese maple with more delicate growing requirements. It requires ordinary to fertile soil and a sunny or slightly shaded location.

Native to the Caucasus, widespread in Europe from Scandinavia to Spain and east to Russia, Acer platanoides is a tall deciduous tree of rapid growth, often associated with oak, lime and elm in our high-altitude forests. It can live up to 200 years. The 'Novush' cultivar was introduced in Germany in 1999. It develops a rounded crown in its early years, which becomes more irregular and bushy with age. At 15 years old, it reaches 1m to 1.5m in height with a spread of 1m. Its foliage is deciduous. The leaves are opposite, palmate, smaller than those of the species, measuring 6 to 9cm in length instead of the usual 10 to 20cm. They have 5 to 7 elongated, very pointed, toothed, dark green lobes. In autumn, they turn a bright yellow. The discreet flowering, in the form of upright corymbs of tiny yellow-green flowers, takes place before bud burst, in March, on plants aged 15 to 20 years. Followed in June, by winged fruits called samaras, 3 to 5cm long. The bark of this tree is brown, almost smooth and marked with numerous shallow longitudinal cracks.

Acer platanoides 'Novush' is an easy-to-grow bush, ideal in a small garden or a pot on a terrace or balcony. It is content with ordinary soil, as long as it is well-drained. It dislikes stagnant moisture. Plant it in a rockery or flower bed, or as a specimen in a miniature scene. Its attractive foliage, colourful in autumn, and its miniature size make it a suitable replacement for a more demanding Japanese maple.