Tag: Amur Maple volunteers

Fall Decoration – Part 3 – The Amur Maples

At the little house up north we have an Amur Maple. I’d know them anywhere. The blooms in spring are delightful. I wish I could bottle that scent! The color is magnificent in fall. And they throw seeds like crazy. Which is why I have a mixed relationship with the Amur Maple in our front yard at the townhouse https://susansdailygarden.wordpress.com/2020/05/24/bonus-free-nail-filing/

I had plans to cut down the Amur Maple in our back yard. It looks like it has seen better days. It is lopsided, and looks more like a bush than a tree.

I don’t know. How much trouble can a lopsided bush sized sweet spring flowering tree cause? Maybe I can trim it. Maybe the seedlings will not be an issue in the spring because our lawn is old and sports lots of different volunteers. Maybe seedlings will not be an issue because there is no garden back there. Wait! Will there not be a garden back there?

It appears the Amur Maple shrub tree will survive one more year. I need to do more research & analysis.

Bonus! Free nail filing!

Gardeners worldwide know that we don’t need a gym during the tending season.  But did you know that Amur Maples come complete with free spring nail filing?

Let me explain.  Our Amur Maple out front is delightful.  When it blooms it is heavenly.  No scent like it.  In the fall, the seed pods turn a lovely pink color, and the leaves form a multi-colored carpet.

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Then the seed pods fall and blow all over.  Helped by our squirrel friends, in the spring the seedlings can be found by the hundreds in the rock gardens and the lawn.  The pines have nothing on these guys.  Left to mature we could start a forest.

So every spring I get in garden shape, and also get a free nail filing, by going around and plucking out hundreds and hundreds of Amur Maple seedlings.  Bucketfuls.

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What the hey – may as well grab linden sticks and the occasional pine or cherry volunteer too.  But mostly Amur Maple seedlings.  Like these

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Is it a pain?  Yep.  If the Amur Maple had to be replaced, would I hope the replacement would be something less invasive?  Yep.  But I’m used to it.  I love the spring blooms, the fall color, watching the squirrels “harvest” the seeds, and the spring tradition of getting back in shape and getting a “plucking” nail filing!