We have three large Sycamore Maple (acer pseudoplatanus) trees. They've been there since before we moved to this block. They are lovely big old trees.
Every year, there are heaps of small seedlings popping up. Almost none of them usually make it taller than about 20cm.
Until we took out the macrocarpa hedge. Now there are hundreds of seedlings, varying in size from barely emerged to a metre and half tall. They are everywhere.
We have moved a lot and planted them out in shelter belts. They're excellent for the east-west belts as they are deciduous, fast growing and have a good canopy.
They are drought-hardy, don't mind a frost, all round useful trees.
So it seemed a shame to be just pulling out the excess. We contacted a couple of big tree companies but they weren't interested. We spoke to a chap at our favourite nursery, he told us that it's now listed as a noxious weed and they're not allowed to sell it.
They do spread quickly and easily, and in more tropical climates, like the North Island, they can smother anything else. He said there's no real need for their pest status down here, and he thinks they are an awesome tree.
But we have to either find new homes for them here, give them away or just discard them. Which makes me sad.
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