Field maple or Montpellier maple: how to tell them apart?
Field maple and Montpellier maple look alike and are often mixed up. Here is how to tell them apart, feature by feature, with their photos and the details to look for.
⚡ The quick answer
Field maple
Acer campestre
Montpellier maple
Acer monspessulanum
Field maple has rounded-lobed leaves and a common habit in hedges, whereas Montpelier maple has leaves with 3 clearly distinct lobes, leathery and glossy, typical of the Mediterranean maquis.
🍃 Leaves
Small opposite leaves, with 3 to 5 rounded lobes, often with a cordate base; they generally measure 5 to 10 cm.
Small opposite leaves, generally with 3 shallow lobes, leathery, triangular to rounded in shape, often around 4 to 8 cm.
🌸 Flowers
Small erect racemes, yellowish green
Small erect racemes, yellow-green
🍎 Fruits
Samaras with parallel, almost opposite wings
Samaras with parallel wings
🪵 Bark
Light brown, often corky and cracked into strips
Grey-brown, cracked
📏 Size
8 to 15 m tall
6 to 12 m tall
🗺️ Habitat
Hedges, woodland edges and open woods
Dry, chalky hillsides of southern France
⚠️ Toxicity
No known toxicity
No known toxicity
🔎 And from the Montpellier maple side
Field maple has leaves with 3-5 rounded lobes and an often cordate base, a common habit in hedges, whereas Montpelier maple has leaves with 3 clearly distinct lobes, leathery and glossy, typical of the Mediterranean maquis.
🌿 Go further
Want to practise spotting these details on real photos? Floraneo offers profiles and quizzes for dozens of look-alike species.
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.