Norway Maple Removal

Photo shows bright yellow Norway maple leaves of trees beginning to dominate the understory layer.

Since 2004, volunteers have hand-removed over 3,100 Norway maples seedlings and small trees from our woods! And under grants from Delaware Estuaries Grant in 2004, and a Delaware Department of Forestry grant in 2005, and the Community Environmental Protection Fund in 2007 and 2008, contractors have removed 526 large trees in Ardentown public lands which have been prolific seeders! We do this for the health of the ecosystem because:

Norways prevent native trees and shrubs from growing: they cast a dense shade, release toxic chemicals, and have shallow roots that quickly take up moisture in the soil, inhibiting native species.
They are prolific seeders: Norways proliferate rapidly by the numerous seeds they produce, falling down and carried by wind and rain. They do not appear to be eaten by wildlife, unlike seeds and fruit of native trees they are replacing.
Result: Norways rapidly create homogenous stands of non-native trees that produce minimal food for wildlife.

HOW TO IDENTIFY NORWAY MAPLES:

Norway maple leaves are the largest and widest maple leaves, almost as big as sycamore leaves (but without the sycamore’s peeling bark).
A milky white sap oozes out when you pull a leaf off of the stalk.
Norway leaves stay on late into the fall, and turn a characteristic yellow color AFTER the red maples (with red fall leaves!) and other native maples shed their leaves.

Help remove YOUR Norway maple weed seedlings from your leaseholds and nearby public lands! If you need help in properly identifying them, come join the Weed-n-walk crew or e-mail us!

NOTE ON REMOVING: We suggest pulling out the seedlings & saplings by the roots. Arden & now Ardentown have “weed wrenches” that can pull out saplings up to an inch in diameter. Cut trees will resprout! If they are too big to pull, be aware that you will need to monitor and pull resprouts, OR paint the stump with glycophosphate concentrate, 50%, such as “Round-up”, to kill the tree. This chemical works from July 15 (when the sap begins to flow down to the roots) until the weather turns cooler. To keep it on the stump, you can thicken it with soil-moist.

Back to Weed-n-Walk page.

Home

Arden | Ardentown | Ardencroft

Archives | Arden Dreamers | Town Watch

Buzz Ware Village Center | Arden Artists | Arden Club

Buzz Ware Calendar | Arden Club Calendar

DIRECTIONS

Arden Secretary: 302 475-3516
Ardentown Secretary: 302 475-7467
Ardencroft Secretary: 302 529-1774