Side by side
Wild service tree or field maple? How to tell them apart
Sorbus torminalis · Acer campestre
How to tell them apart – wild service tree: alternate leaf with sharp, triangular lobes, almost like a maple leaf, small brown fruits and red autumn colour; field maple: opposite leaf with rounded lobes, and winged fruits.
How do you recognise them?
- Wild service tree
- Alternate leaf with sharp, triangular lobes, almost like a maple leaf; small brown fruits and red autumn colour.
- Field maple
- Small maple with small leaves with rounded lobes; milky sap in the leaf stalk; wings in a straight line.
- Compared with wild service tree: opposite leaf with rounded lobes, and winged fruits.
| Wild service tree | Field maple | |
|---|---|---|
| Leaves | Alternate, 6–12 cm, with 3–5 pairs of sharp, toothed lobes; the lowest pair is the most deeply cut and spreads outwards. Glossy dark green; autumn colour red to purple. | Opposite, small (5–10 cm), with 3–5 rounded lobes without pointed teeth. The leaf stalk contains milky sap. |
| Flowering | Clusters of white flowers in May–June (May–June). | May |
| Fruit | Egg-shaped fruits 1–1.5 cm long, red at first, brown with pale speckles when ripe; edible once bletted. | Winged fruits whose wings spread out horizontally, in a single line. |
| Bark | Grey; on older trees it flakes off in small square scales, like a pear tree. | Light brown and finely fissured; young twigs often have corky ridges. |
| Shape and height | Broadleaf tree, 10–20 m | Broadleaf tree, 10–20 m, often in hedges |
| Site | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal | Sun or partial shade, any garden soil, normal |
| Native to Belgium | Yes | Yes |
| Good for bees, butterflies and birds | – | Yes, for bees and butterflies |
| Poisonous to people and pets | Not known to be poisonous | Not known to be poisonous |
| Pruning months | November–March | June–October |
What does it mean for your garden?
- Both are native and good for wildlife: choose what suits your soil, your light and the space you have.
- Wild service tree (10–20 m) and field maple (10–20 m) both grow into large trees: too big for an ordinary garden, but fine in a large garden, a park or a meadow.
Read on
- Plant profile: Wild service tree
- Plant profile: Field maple
- Wild service tree: when and how to prune
- Field maple: when and how to prune
- Identification key
Also looks like
This comparison is compiled from the Bladwijzer species pages.