Acer obtusifolium

Only a few evergreen trees are resistant to low winter temperatures and frosts. Acer obtusifolium is one of them. It is also resistant to diseases, pests and air pollution. Its growth rate is slow, primarily in its early years, and it develops and strengthens optimally, thus being long-lived. Its canopy shape ranges from erect and pyramidal in its youth to oval and relatively narrow in its maturity.

It can be planted in most types of soil, except for saline soils, and it is therefore suitable for most areas of the country, except for the Jordan Valley and the Aravah. A. obtusifolium requires very little water, though regular watering will contribute to a handsome and fresh appearance. (There is no need for this in rainier and colder regions.) In summer, it bears decorative fruit whose big advantage is that it isn’t sticky, does not attract birds and thus isn’t messy. The fruit color varies; it can have nuanced shades of green, red or brown. The range is due to the tree’s propagation from seeds, resulting in diversity between individual specimens in terms of canopy shape, and the leaf color can be green, yellow or in hues of red.

Its properties allow the tree to adapt to different horticultural uses, both in public spaces and private gardens. On boulevards and streets, one can and should prune it to create a higher canopy.

Others in the same family: Acer obtusifolium |Acer truncatum | Acer buergerianum