Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala - Erable du fleuve Amour, Erable de l'Amour, Érable de Mandchourie, Érable de Sibérie

Acer ginnala, or the Amur Maple, is a small tree particularly valued for its autumn colours, which change from yellow to orange and then to scarlet red. Its spring flowers, discreet but fragrant, produce red winged fruits that are also decorative. More accommodating regarding soil type than many maples, it tolerates lime, wind, and short dry periods once well established. Its moderate growth makes it suitable for planting as a specimen, in a copse, or in an informal hedge.

The Amur Maple belongs to the Sapindaceae family. The currently accepted botanical name is Acer tataricum subsp. ginnala, although the name Acer ginnala remains widely used in horticulture. It is a deciduous shrub or small tree: its foliage falls in autumn after changing colour. It grows spontaneously across a vast region of North-East Asia, from the Russian Far East to Korea and northern China, in climates marked by harsh winters. It generally develops several trunks and a bushy habit that becomes more spreading with age. In gardens, it reaches 4 to 6 m in height and 4 to 5 m in spread. Its growth, moderate to fairly rapid when young and grown in fertile soil, then slows down. The opposite leaves on the stems measure 5 to 10 cm in length. They are divided into three lobes, the central one being noticeably longer and more pointed than the two lateral lobes. Green in spring and summer, they turn yellow, orange, and red in autumn, with colour intensity greater in sunny positions and during cool autumns. In April or May, small cream-white to pale yellow flowers, gathered in upright clusters, emit a light fragrance that attracts pollinating insects. They are followed by samaras, the characteristic fruits of maples with two almost parallel wings. Initially green, then pinkish to red during summer, they turn brown as they ripen. This species is remarkably hardy and tolerates various soils, from slightly acidic to alkaline (lime-rich). It also accepts clay soils if they do not remain waterlogged. Capable of withstanding occasional drought after a few years of cultivation, this maple is not a tree for arid ground.

A good shade shrub, the Amur Maple is ideal as a specimen in the middle of a lawn, in a country hedge, or at the base of large trees to create an intermediate vegetative screen. In this situation, it can be kept in its natural form as a large multi-stemmed shrub or gradually trained into a small tree to reveal its branching structure. It can be paired with Cornus alba ‘Sibirica’, whose red stems remain decorative in winter, and with Viburnum opulus ‘Compactum’, valued for its fruit and autumn foliage. In lighter soil, a Spiraea japonica ‘Goldflame’ can be planted in front of its vegetation. Under a mature specimen, Epimedium ‘Frohnleiten’, capable of thriving in slightly dry shade, makes a colourful and undemanding groundcover. Allow enough space around the maple for its branches to spread naturally. It can also be trained as a bonsai.