The Quiet Lord of the Apennine Woods

Habit: A slender, columnar tree up to 20 m tall. Bark: Smooth when young, later becoming slightly cracked. Branches: Characteristically covered with a bluish-white bloom, turning bright green with age. Leaves: Opposite, palmately lobed with five deep, pointed lobes, glossy green above and paler beneath. When the petiole is cut, it releases a milky sap. In autumn they turn golden yellow. Flowers: Small, yellow-green, borne in erect clusters appearing together with the young leaves. Fruits: Samaras (paired winged fruits) with diverging wings up to 2.5 cm long, green and slightly curved. Flowering: April-May.

Chorological type: Italian endemic. Distribution: Present in the central and southern Apennines, from Abruzzo to Calabria. Habitat: It favours cool, moist woodlands, often associated with beech and Turkey oak, between 700 and 1700 m above sea level.

Generic name (Acer): From the Latin acer, acris, meaning “sharp” or “pointed”, in reference to the shape of the leaves and to the use of the wood for spears. Specific name (cappadocicum): Refers to Cappadocia (Anatolia), the probable region of origin of the group. Subspecific name (lobelii): Honors the Flemish botanist Mathias de Lobel (1538-1616), physician and naturalist.

It produces a pale, compact wood that is easy to work, but it is especially valued for slope and unstable-soil stabilization because of its ability to regenerate by suckering. It also has considerable ornamental value in urban settings and parks, where it is appreciated for its elegant upright habit and for the spectacular autumn colours of its foliage.