Acer platanoides 'Drummondii' | Norway Maple
Landscape tree with lovely variegated foliage
A beautiful, fast growing, spreading tree with strong coloured foliage which will add colour and interest to any garden in which it is situated. This deciduous tree also flowers orange-red in spring, on leafless branches, which means you get a riot of colour in three out of four seasons. Tall and vigorous, the 'Crimson king' certainly lives up to its name.
Variety Information
- Habit: Bushy/Upright
- Foliage Color: Purple-red
- Features: Variegated Foliage, Graceful Habit
- Supplied As: 9L Pot
- Height on Arrival: 120-150cm (4-5 ft)
- Age: 2 years with 4 year Rootstock
- Eventual Height & Spread: 12m x 10m (40 x 33ft)
All trees arrive in an extra thick cardboard box with a clamp to hold their pot in place. This prevents them from moving around on their journey.
Nursery staff will wrap the roots of our bare root trees and use compost to keep them moist during transportation. This extra protection prevents them from drying out, allowing for a flying start. We also use the same specialised box that our potted trees have to keep them nice and secure as they make their way to your home.
Please note: where your plant is supplied with a pot, your plant's 'Height on Arrival' includes the pot

- Watering: Bare root trees should have their roots soaked in water for up to 2 hours before planting, while with containerised trees, it is important to drench their root ball before planting.
- Pruning: Another difference is that for bare root trees, it is useful to prune their woody roots back a few inches. However, for containerised trees, you should free any spiralized roots growing around their rootball's circumference.
- Planting: With bare root trees, you should dig a hole to enable the graft point to be above the soil, while with containerised trees, the pot should sit no lower than an inch below the ground.
- With both, you should dig a hole that is twice the radius of their rootball. Stake your trees no more than 2 - 3 inches from the stem, and make sure that they are pointing away from the prevailing wind.
- Fill the planting hole with a mix of compost and garden soil, finishing with fertiliser and mycorrhizal fungi. Take care to not compress the soil.
- Once you are happy with your efforts, give your tree a generous watering.
- Add mulch on top (this can be bark and wood chippings, compost, manure, leaf-mould, and stones), and ensure that these do not touch the stem of the tree.
- Tie the stake to your tree (and leave space for growth), and place a rabbit guard around your tree to protect it from harmful pests.
- Apply fertiliser and replace decomposed mulch come spring. In autumn, remove fallen leaves to prevent the risk of disease. You should also make sure that the ties are not rubbing your tree.
Advice on hot and droopy plants
If your plants are looking a little wilted right now, don’t worry! Plants like to be filled with water to keep their structure, and when it’s hot that water evaporates.
Just give them an off-schedule watering and they’ll be right as rain in no time! Be careful not to flood them - plants don’t like extremes.
- Hardiness: Maple trees can be found growing throughout temperate regions of the world, and are therefore well adapted to the UK climate.
- Position: Japanese maples are suited to dappled shade, while red and Norwegian maples prefer full sun. Also planting your tree in a sheltered spot will help prevent uprooting in strong winds.
- Soil: Soil types can be an unwelcome confusion as many plants will adapt to their conditions. Nonetheless, less than ideal conditions will certainly limit your Maple’s growth. Waterlogged soils will starve your tree of oxygen, which plays a key role in photosynthesis; causing its roots to rot and creating an optimal environment for disease. Similarly, compressed soils can starve it of oxygen and water, so do not compress the soil when planting. Pots: Japanese maples are perfect for pots and will benefit from mildly acidic soil. Potting with a mix of ericaceous compost and garden soil will produce a slightly acidic pH and a better soil structure overall. You may find that the pH rises over time, but you can maintain the acidity by watering with rainwater, and using pine needles and conifer bark as mulch. Larger species of Maple will still suffice in pots, but their growth will be restricted. However, this can be of benefit as they can grow to quite a large size.
Is Collection/Mix? | No |
---|---|
Needs Ericaceous Compost? | No |