Acer is a genus of trees and shrubs commonly known as maples. The genus is placed in the soapberry family Sapindaceae. There are approximately 132 species, most of which are native to Asia, with a number also appearing in Europe, northern Africa, and North America. Only one species, Acer laurinum, extends to the Southern Hemisphere. The type species of the genus is the sycamore maple Acer pseudoplatanus, one of the most common maple species in Europe. Most maples usually have easily identifiable palmate leaves (with a few exceptions, such as Acer carpinifolium, Acer laurinum, and Acer negundo) and all share distinctive winged fruits. The closest relative of the maples is the small east Asian genus Dipteronia, followed by the more widespread genus Aesculus (buckeyes and horse-chestnuts). Maple syrup is made from the sap of some maple species. It is one of the most common genera of trees in Asia. Many maple species are grown in gardens where they are valued for their autumn colour and often decorative foliage, some also for their attractive flowers, fruit, or bark.
Diseases Affecting Maple
Bleeding Canker
Phytophthora bleeding canker kills the bark and outer sapwood tissues of trees and shrubs. The most prominent symptom of the disease is dark-colored sap oozing from bark cankers. The fluid is typically reddish-brown and it stains the surrounding bark as it flows downward. Infected bark is often water soaked and stained while the inner sapwood…
Verticillium Wilt
Early indications that a tree has Verticillium wilt include heavy seed production, leaves that are smaller than normal, and the browning of the margins of leaves.
Affected Species:
Insects Affecting Maple
Spotted Lantern Fly
Lycorma delicatula, commonly known as the Spotted Lanternfly (SLF), is a new invasive insect that has spread throughout southeastern Pennsylvania since its discovery in Berks County in 2014. SLF presents a significant threat to Pennsylvania agriculture, including the grape, tree-fruit, hardwood and nursery industries, which collectively are worth nearly $18 billion to the state’s economy.
Japanese Beetle
Japanese beetle adults have metallic green bodies with coppery brown wing covers surrounded with 12 white tufts of hair.
Affected Species:
Lecanium Scale
The European fruit lecanium is a key soft scale insect pest of shade trees and other woody ornamental plants in…
Affected Species:
Cottony Maple Leaf Scale
Cottony maple leaf scale females are 3 to 4mm long and 2 to 4mm wide. They are slightly convex and are brown with a yellow-brown ridge down the back. The body is covered with flakes of clear wax. Their eggs are white to pale yellow and are meshed in a white, cottony ovisac which may…
Aphids
Many species of aphids or plant lice occur on ornamental trees and shrubs in Pennsylvania.
Affected Species:
Verticillium Wilt
Early indications that a tree has Verticillium wilt include heavy seed production, leaves that are smaller than normal, and the browning of the margins of leaves.
Affected Species:
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