Acer campestre is a deciduous tree reaching 15-25 m tall, with a trunk up to 1 m diameter, with finely fissured, often somewhat corky bark. The leaves are in opposite pairs, 5-12 cm long (including the 3-6 cm petiole), with five blunt, rounded lobes with a smooth margin.
The flowers are produced in spring at the same time as the leaves open, yellow-green, in erect clusters 4-6 cm across. The fruit is a samara with two winged seeds aligned at 180 º, each seed 8-10 mm wide, flat, with a 2 cm wing.
Cultivation
Field Maple is widely grown as an ornamental tree in parks and large gardens. The wood is white, hard and strong, and used for furniture and flooring, though the small size of the tree and its relatively slow growth make it an unimportant wood.
Bonsai
Among maples not endemic to Japan, A. campestre (and the similar A. monspessulanum) are popular among bonsai enthusiasts. The dwarf cultivar 'Microphyllum' is especially useful in this regard. A. campestre bonsai have an appearance distinct from those created from maples such as A. palmatum with more frilly, translucent, leaves. The shrubby habit and smallish leaves of A. campestre respond well to techniques encouraging ramification and leaf reduction.
