This article popped into my in box. Not good reading for Canadians, but the Norway maple is there to stay. The Globe and Mail: How the foreign Norway maple tree is changing Canada’s fall palette. How the foreign Norway maple tree is changing Canada’s fall palette
A. platanoides can have pretty wide autumn palette, depending on weather. From nice violet and red to plain yellow or even boring brown. Of course, invaders are not welcome, so keep protecting your environment and local species from human induced competitors!
Here's why it's so popular. They're used quite often as street trees in Vancouver. Funnily enough, what's been planted a lot in my neighbourhood are the cultivar A. platanoides 'Princeton Gold' (introduced by the Princeton Nursery in New Jersey - here I'd been thinking it came from Princeton, BC), which I've noticed doesn't seem to be colouring up - see the tree in front in this photo. Now I've read that this is its normal behaviour. So the gold is just its early leaf colour. Then it goes sort of chartreuse.
@wcutler sometimes an invader does not have to be unwelcome, tbh our gardens are full of plants first collected in other countries from seed found by the great plant hunters of the Victorian age. Looking at your photo and how it has made for a very cheerful street scene, perhaps the Norway maple can be a welcome visitor !! Well perhaps a little !!!???? Lol. I can see why it is so popular there, that is a stunning tree.
