Field Maple (acer campestre)

This is a favourite tree amongst children visiting Scotswood Garden, thanks to its helicopter seeds which you can throw into the air and watch as they rotate back down to the ground like a helicopter (just like its taller relation the sycamore). As well as being shorter than the sycamore, you can also usually tell the field maple apart as its leaves are more rounded than those of the sycamore.  

Field maples are brilliant for towns and city streets as they are very tolerant of pollution. They are also havens for many insects, including ladybirds. 

Field maple is a deciduous tree. In autumn most leaves turn a beautiful golden yellow colour, with some going into reds and oranges.

In case you were wondering, maple syrup does come from maple trees (you can collect it from field maple), but usually from red maple, black maple or sugar maple. Most of the world's maple syrup is harvested in Canada which uses a maple leaf on its flag.

Here's a link to a lovely short film by the Woodland Trust on a year in the life of a beautiful field maple - enjoy!