Acer campestre
Field maple
The first thing that comes to my mind when I think about the maple tree is the sticky sap that’s made into a sweet syrup that many love to pour over pancakes. If you live in the New England area, you’ll likely have bought Vermont maple syrup. Besides being a delightful treat, maple syrup represents success and abundance.
Description: This maple grows to a height of 50 to 85 feet (15 to 25 meters), while in some locations it may only reach of height of 25 to 35 feet (8 to 10 meters) and can be pruned to form a tall hedge. The light gray bark is smooth and finely cracked. As the tree ages, the bark peels away in small scales. The crown is low, domed, compact, and bushy, with short lateral shoots, and has a spread of 25 to 35 feet (8 to 10 meters).
Bright green leaves form on long stalks in opposite pairs along the stem. As they unfold, they become darker. The leaves are composed of five round lobes with smooth edges. In autumn, the leaves turn bright yellow or golden yellow and may have a red tinge.
Small insignificant yellowish-green flowers bud in clusters at around the same time the leaves appear. They produce a dry green, pink-tinted fruit called a samara, which has two one-seeded cells surrounded by wings, which spin as they fall. These divide when they ripen, and can be transported quite far by the wind.
The trunk, branches, and leaves all produce a saccharine juice, and the sap drawn from the tree contains sugar.
History and Traditions: The origin of the genus name is uncertain, but it may come from the Proto-Indo-European *ak- for “be sharp,” referring to the fact the wood was hard and was used to make spears. The specific name comes from the Latin campus for “of the fields” or “of the plains.”
A popular tradition among children is to wear the split samara on the bridge of their noses. An older tradition in nineteenth century Great Britain was to pass a child through the branches of a maple tree. This removed any witchcraft that was making the child ill and ensured he remained healthy for many years. And hanging maple branches around a doorway was believed to keep bats from entering. Maple utensils were also thought to hold magical powers. Anyone who ate with a maple spoon would not be troubled by magic, and if the person happened to eat poisoned food with a maple utensil, he would not be harmed.
Perhaps the most popular symbol of the maple is the leaf proudly displayed in the middle of the Canadian flag, which symbolizes Canadian sacrifice during World War I. The flag was approved in December of 1964, and on February 15, 1965, it became official through royal proclamation. Even before this, the maple leaf has been a national symbol in Canada since 1868, symbolizing pride and strength.
Habitat and Distribution: This maple variety is native to Europe and western Asia, and the trees can be found on plains, hills, and along rivers. It has been introduced to parts of the U.S. and western Australia.
Growth: Deciduous tree. Flowers bloom between April and June, depending on the location, and seeds ripen in September and October. The tree prefers full sun to partial shade, although in its early life, it’s resistant to shade, only requiring increased light as it ages and starts producing seeds.
A maple prefers warmer weather, but can also tolerate severe winters and is resistant to frost. The tree can withstand strong winds, but not a marine exposure. It can tolerate air pollution and droughts. The tree grows best with a medium amount of water that keeps the soil moist, but it can adapt to various soil types, including heavy clay.
The tree is not one that first grows in a newly disturbed area as its seeds lie dormant under vegetation for twelve to eighteen months. Once the seedlings become well-established, at five to eight years, they will begin a more rapid growth for about twenty-five years.
Harvesting: The bark of young twigs is used for medicinal purposes. It should be dried in the sun and stored in a dry place.
Medical Use: Maple is a diuretic and astringent. It also has been used as a remedy for vomiting, jaundice, kidney stones, gout, and wounds. A decoction of the bark is used to wash sore eyes. To take internally, pour 500 ml of boiling water over 3 teaspoons of crushed bark. Let it soak until it cools, then strain out the bark. Take 1 Tablespoon several times a day. You can also use this solution when you wash your hair to prevent hair loss.
Rituals and Magical Use: Maple is a peaceful wood. Wands made from the tree have been used for spiritual healing, and spells about art, beauty, binding, and abundance should include the wood. If it’s love you’re looking for, try eating the seeds to draw love to yourself, since maple enables you to look for a companion who is strong, devoted, and cares for others. Or if money is your forte, include maple as a base in loose incense, and you may find it brings you gold. The tree is one of balance. It shows you options, so you can make a good choice, and you can use maple for divination. Not least of all, maple helps you gain knowledge and enhances intellectual pursuits.
When people wanted to heal a child, for example, from a hernia, they mentioned maple in the ritual, because they believed the tree was insensitive to pain. A ritual healing involved first measuring the ill child on a window jamb. Then, they drilled a hole into the wood at the child’s height and drove in a maple peg. As they did this, they said, “Just as a maple tree doesn’t feel anything and doesn’t know about the wind or weather, so too, the servant of God has a hernia that doesn’t hurt and is unaffected by the wind and the weather.”
Ancient Slavs believed that people could be turned into maples, and you could tell this because the maple leaf’s five lobes resemble the human hand. In one story, a mother cursed her misbehaving son to become a maple. A musician made a violin from the tree, and the boy’s voice sang from the instrument and told a tale about his mother. Another belief was that a kaval (similar to a flute) or whistle made from the maple’s wood would tell tales about a ruined life.
The tree itself has magical properties. Many a person out in the woods has found shelter under the maple’s branches. Unlike the shadow of the walnut tree, which steals power from anyone who sleeps within it, the maple’s shadow is a source of positive energy. Sleeping under the tree guarantees one peace and protection from mythical creatures like the Bulgarian nymphs called Samodivi, who roam the forest.
Even objects made from maple wood offer this protection. A shepherd will dare to play his kaval while tending his sheep if the musical instrument has been made from maple. If it’s made of other wood, he may not be so lucky. This is because Samodivi love the music and will force a shepherd to play all night long while they dance beneath the moon. The next morning, if the poor man hasn’t died of exhaustion, he’ll discover that he’s worn holes in the ground from tapping his feet to his own music.
Additionally, when Rusalki (often called mermaids) come out, magical healers called rusalii or kalushari chase the maidens away with sticks made of maple, hazel, or dogwood.
Within the household, important objects were made from wood in order to provide protection from black magic and all manner of bad things. In particular, maple was chosen for objects used to hold or convey liquids, such as buckets or brandy and wine flasks, as well as a rocker arm used to carry water. It was a popular belief that malicious spirits resided within water, and so they would flee when coming in contact with maple.
Vampires were among the spirits, or undead, affected by this. The Slavs held many beliefs about how a person could become a vampire: a cat or other animal leaping over the corpse or a bird flying above the body could trigger the curse. One method of protecting a deceased loved one from becoming a vampire was to make his coffin from maple or pine. On top of that, grasses and herbs blessed on the Feast of the Transfiguration were laid inside the coffin.
If these precautions were not taken, the vampire could be destroyed by the ever-popular stake through the heart. The stabber had to make sure the stake was maple, ash, or hawthorn in order for it to be effective.
Other Use: Although the sugar concentration in this type of maple is lower than in sugar maples, its juice can be used as a beverage or made into a syrup or sweetener. Maple leaves wrapped around apples, roots, and so on are an excellent way to preserve them.
Maples can be pruned to make hedges, and they are attractive ornamental plants, as well as lovely additions to floral decorations. This maple variety is suited to making bonsai trees, due to its growth habits and small leaves. Its root system is good for lessening soil erosion.
Maple wood is compact and has a fine grain, with beautiful veins, enhanced by polish, making the wood suitable for cabinets, furniture, flooring, violin cases, as well as bowls, cups, and other kitchenware. It’s also a good wood for fuel. The young shoots were once used as whips since they were flexible and tough.
Other Names: Common maple, hedge maple, dog oak, common elder, master tree.
Aromatic: The sap produced is sticky and sweet.
CAUTION: No known hazards, but always consult with a medical professional before using herbs medicinally. Pregnant and lactating women should avoid use due to lack of information on its safety.
Honey-Dew Rain
If you’ve ever walked beneath a maple, you may have felt drops like a fine rain. This is because the tree is likely infected with aphids, and the “rain” you experience is produced by the insects. The aphids eat holes in the leaves and suck out the juices, then proceed to excrete drops of sticky honey-dew every half hour. With numerous insects eating the leaves above you, many drops will fall from the tree (Botanical.com).
