Streetwise Maple

• Variety: Streetwise, the narrow, upright Field Maple
• Latin name: Acer campestre 'Streetwise'
• Bred by: Hillier Nurseries, selected over nearly two decades and released in 1998
• Sold as: Bareroot standards of 6/8cm and 8/10cm girth
• Mature size: 7 to 8m tall and 3m wide
• Shape: A narrow, upright, oval crown that stays consistent from tree to tree
• Leaves: Five blunt lobes, yellow to orange in autumn
• Best soil and site: Almost any soil, chalk included. Stands drought, winter wet and town air. Sun or light shade
• Hardiness: H6, hardy through the British winter
• Pruning: Late autumn to midwinter only
• Delivered: Bareroot, November to April. Collection from Castle Cary also available

Streetwise is a Field Maple selected by Hillier for a narrow, upright, oval crown that stays the same from tree to tree, which is what a street or a small garden needs. It grows 7 to 12 metres tall and 3 to 5 wide in almost any soil, and stands drought, winter wet and town air.

Streetwise Maple

Streetwise is a field maple with a neat, narrow, upright, egg shaped canopy, which makes it perfect for planting on roadsides, small gardens and other places where space is limited. The spring leaves are brilliant green, deepening as the summer goes on, and the autumn colour is a bright orangey-yellow, even better than the wild species. The winged seeds have a pink tinge.

It'll reach a height of about 7-8 metres with a spread of 3 metres.

Browse our other Maple varieties, or all of our trees.

Delivery season: Maple trees are delivered bareroot from late autumn to early spring, November to April.
Choosing a size: Small trees are cheaper, easier to handle and more forgiving of less than ideal aftercare, so they're best for a big planting project. If instant impact is your priority, or if you are only buying a few plants for use in a place where it's convenient to water them well in their first year, then you may as well use bigger ones. All our bareroot trees are measured by their height in centimetres above the ground (the roots aren't measured).

Growing Maples

This hardy tree will grow almost anywhere, except on very acidic soil, and it stands drought once established. Suitable for exposed locations except on the coast. It thrives on chalk and doesn't mind winter waterlogging.
It tolerates urban pollution well, and dappled shade cast by taller trees.

Avoid pruning in late winter / early Spring, because it'll bleed sap.

History & Trivia

This tree was bred by Hillier Nursery under the direction of Hossein Arshadi, and released in 1998 after 20 years of fine-tuning. It is a disease resistant alternative to Acer Queen Elizabeth, which is otherwise a very similar tree.

Standard trees are measured by their girth in centimetres 1 metre above ground level: their trunk's waist measurement. Unlike sapling trees and hedge plants, standards aren't measured by their height, which will vary quite a bit both between and within species.
So, a 6/8cm standard tree has a trunk with a circumference of 6-8cm and an 8/10 standard has a trunk 8-10cm around. This measurement makes no difference to the tree's final height.
On average, standard trees are 2-3.5 metres tall when they arrive, but we cannot tell you precisely how tall your trees will be before we deliver them.

Planting Companions

The other two Field Maple selections are Elsrijk and Royal Ruby; the wild Field Maple itself is broader and less regular. As a selection of a native tree it sits well with the native British trees and with Hawthorn trees. Dust the roots with Rootgrow as you plant.

Why Ashridge?

Ashridge has sold trees since 1949 and is a Which? Best Plant Supplier 2025. Your Streetwise Maple comes as a bareroot tree, lifted to order while dormant and guaranteed for 12 months. Plant it between November and April, and it will establish readily.

Frequently Asked Questions

How big does a Streetwise Maple grow?

The trade gives it 7 to 12 metres in height and 3 to 5 metres in spread; we have always said 7 to 8 metres by 3.

What is the difference between Streetwise and an ordinary Field Maple?

Shape. A wild Field Maple makes a broad, bushy crown that varies from tree to tree. Hillier selected Streetwise for a narrow, upright crown that is the same every time.

Is Streetwise a good street tree?

It was bred to be one. Hillier chose it for streets, car parks and paths, where sightlines matter, and lists it as resistant to both drought and waterlogging.

When should you prune a Field Maple?

From late autumn to midwinter only. Maples bleed sap if you cut them in late winter or early spring.

Will it grow on chalk?

Yes. Field Maple suits chalky soils, as our page has always said. Very acid soil is the one thing to avoid.

When are the trees delivered?

Bareroot only, from November to April, while the trees are dormant. You can order at any time of year and your tree is lifted and sent once the season opens.