Hi, Tish from 'sconnie! No, you did no great injustice, but.....both Norway, and the closely related Tatarian, maples do exhibit strong invasive tendencies both here and in the Northeastern U.S.

If you are planting such trees directly adjacent to woodlands, than yes, a problem could ensue over years of time. Otherwise, not so much.

BTW, though I usually don't recommend folks digging trees out of the woods-they usually do a poor job and kill the plants-in your case, I might just reverse course and tell you that there are literally millions of sugar maple seedlings and saplings coming up in the woods most anywhere in WI. These will make fine trees provided conditions are right, and have the genetic attributes that have made them so successful in these parts.

Just something to consider.......+oM

'Norwegian Sunset' is apparently a hybrid cultivar of Acer truncatum and Acer platanoides. I don't know if it's been around long enough for people to say if it inherited the invasive tendencies of the Norway Maple parent.

We have quite a few Norwegian Sunsets planted as street trees in my area. This variety will produce seed, but I haven't attempted germinating the seed, so I can't comment on their viability. So far I haven't observed any stray seedlings appearing, but I'm only observing street tree locations, so when planted near a natural area there could potentially be some invasiveness. A couple other things I've noted about Norwegian Sunset - in my area, at least, fall color has been disappointing most years. Leaves are held late into the fall and are often frozen before good color develops. Also, this variety tends to broaden with age even though it's commonly advertised as having an "upright" growth form.

Well, I wish I could say I felt better, but I suppose only time will tell. I live in a subdivision, but we have 1 acre lots and we are rural (surrounded by farmland and woods), so if it becomes invasive...

Wisconsitom, I'm sure I could properly dig up a sapling, but isn't it illegal? I realize that all trees in the woods do not reach maturity, but I don't want to come strolling out of the woods and see a forest ranger standing there with handcuffs either. I'm kind of spooked now because my brother and sister-in-law saw some unusual flowers on the side of the road (very rural) this past Spring and dug up a couple. They turned out to be Peruvian daffodils. When I told a friend of mine, she said it is illegal in some states to do that. (I would like to have dug up some sumac too, but I bought three for 100 bucks at the nursery. There are thousands of them along the roadside every where you turn in the country side).

esh-ga, I sure hope that because they are a hybrid, that maybe, just maybe they won't be invasive.

arbordave, I was disappointed in the colors last fall too, but since it was its first year in the ground, I am still holding onto great hope that either this year or the next it will hold true to the claims of the red, orange and yellow fall color. If it does get wider, it has all the room it needs. Luckily I didn't place it where there was restricted space and didn't take the claims of its width as gospel...

Thanks to you all for taking the time to respond. Everybody keep your fingers crossed for me!!!

Tish

Not trying to get you busted;^) Maybe you can get permission from a woodland owner to dig a S. maple. Best of luck......+oM

Its not illegal do dig up most plants if you have permission from the land owner. Morally it depends on the plant. Sugar maple you can probably take some take some small seedlings free of guilt because they are prolific almost to the point of weediness in the forest.

Its not illegal *to* dig up with permission most plants, that is. In many cases it is morally a bad choice, though. S. maple is prolific and is even invading oak-hickory forests and shading them out, so I think if you get permission from someone to take a small seedling or two you have not created a-great-moral-sin.

You know your right, no harm in asking. If it wasn't so far away, I could get one from my husband's friend's place way up north (Wisconsin). Oh well, there are plenty of woods right here. I wouldn't be able to identify the variety, but if I get one in the Fall, I would be able to tell the color it offered.

Thanks again everyone!!!

Its not illegal *to* dig up with permission most plants, that is. In many cases it is morally a bad choice, though.

If you have permission, is it ever illegal? Or are you talking about protected/endangered plants - and what is the difference for them, even property owners can't move them?

And why "in many cases" is it a morally bad choice (again, assuming you have permission)?