Acer negundo 'Auratum' (Golden Leaved Manitoba Maple)


Michael's Opinion

A cultivar of a particularly unpleasant species but does find use in colder climates as it is quite hardy. This gold form of A. negundo is more a novelty that a useful landscape tree, like its parent it is still somewhat of a weedy looking, unkempt character.

Botanical Information

FamilySapindaceae (Aceraceae)
GenusAcer
Speciesnegundo
Cultivar'Auratum'
CategoryWoody
TypeTree (deciduous)
OriginSpeth Baumschulen, Berlin, Germany, 1891.
Pronunciation

Details

USDA Hardiness Zone5-8
USDA Hardiness Ref.
Canadian Hardiness Zone6-8
Canada Hardiness Ref.
RHS Hardiness ZoneH7 - H4
RHS Hardiness Ref.
Temperature (°C)-29
Temperature (°F)-20
Height5-7 m
Spread4-5 m
GrowthFast
Flowering PeriodMay

Description and Growing Information

ID CharacteristicEasily identifiable by its golden yellow foliage and stems that snap very easily with a pronounced pith.
ShapeA rounded crown.
LandscapeCan be used as a small tree or a shrub, if used as a shrub it normally is used as a filler in the border to provide some colour where it may be coppiced. It can be used in parks, squares or even your garden if you dare. It is able to tolerate poor soils and the cold better then most other Acer species.
CultivationA plant tolerant of a range of soil conditions and although with a preference for calcareous soils it has a widely acceptable pH range from 4 to 8.5. Soil, ideally should be moist and somewhat clay or loam based.
PestsAphids, caterpillars and box elder beetles may be of concern.
Notable SpecimensThe Royal Botanical Gardens, Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
HabitatHorticulture origin.
Bark/Stem DescriptionThe bark is an olive-green colour on young branches while on the main trunk it is a dull, beige-grey and lightly furrowed.
Flower/Leaf Bud DescriptionThe buds are 6-8 mm long, with greenish or reddish scales which are covered with silky hairs.
Leaf DescriptionThe compound, 20 cm leaf is the most appealing part of the tree, being a golden yellow colour with a smooth underside, they are attached to the branches with a prominent red petiole.
Flower DescriptionYellowish green flowering around May, not ornamentally significant.
Fruit DescriptionThe samaras, which hang in pendulous clusters are a yellowish green maturing to an ash-brown colour and are persistent into the winter months.
Colour DescriptionIt has a nice yellow, golden yellow colour from spring until late summer with red petioles and beige-grey bark and olive green twigs.
Texture DescriptionCourse throughout all the seasons.

Photographs