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Maple Collection

This core collection at Cornell Botanic Gardens consists of 308 trees, representing 195 species and cultivars. Because the maples in this collection are quite diverse and require very different site conditions, they are spread throughout Cornell Botanic Gardens.
 
The maple collection is part of the American Public Gardens Association Plant Collections Network, which coordinates a continent-wide approach to plant germplasm (genetic resources from an organism) preservation, and promotes excellence in plant collections management.

Click here to download a plant list for this collection (pdf file, 25 pages).

Some key areas within this collection include:

Class of 1938 Native Maple Slope

Location: F.R. Newman Arboretum, northwest of Newman Overlook

Description: This site supports trees that grow best with full sun and wind exposure. These maples tend to be species native to New York State. They are quite large, close to mature, and include red, sugar, silver, and striped maples.

F. R. Newman Arboretum

Location: Along the southern edge of Newman Meadow and in the Class of 1923 Small Flowering Tree Collection

Description: Here an overstory of Acer x freemanii, a red and silver maple hybrid, demonstrates the differences in branching structure and crown shape within a group of hybrids. Beneath these hybrids is an understory of shade-loving maples. This site faces north so they are protected from the winter sun. Many of these trees are Asian and have attractive bark and brilliant fall color. They include snakebark maples, as well as small trees similar to the Japanese maple, including A. shirasawanum and A. pseudosieboldianum.

Conifer Slope

Location: Plantations Road, across the street from the Nevin Welcome Center

Description
: This north-facing slope, formerly known as Gymnosperm Slope, allows the growth of Zone 6 plants. It consists primarily of small-statured Asian maples. An overstory of older conifers provides protection from winter and summer temperature extremes.


Click below to hear a two-minute audio narrative about the maple collection.