What can I plant instead of Norway Maple?

Sugar Maple, White Spruce, Cucumber Tree, Green Ash are native plants that fill the same garden role as Norway Maple and feed local wildlife.

Is Norway Maple invasive in Canada?

Norway Maple is treated as invasive in parts of Canada because it spreads out of gardens into natural areas. Native alternatives give you the same look without the spread.

Native alternatives to Norway Maple | Hortus

Why swap it

Norway maple casts dense shade and seeds aggressively into ravines and woodlots, leaving bare ground beneath it. These native shade trees give you the same fast canopy without the takeover.

Native plants to grow instead

Map your garden free →

1
Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
a native tree for the same canopy role
A larval host plant. The caterpillars it raises are the primary food source for baby songbirds.
2
White Spruce
Picea glauca
a native tree for the same canopy role
Helps at-risk wildlife
It perches on tall spruces and sallies out to catch flying insects. Native blooms keep its prey in the air.
Brings back: Olive-sided Flycatcher
3
Cucumber Tree
Magnolia acuminata
a native tree for the same canopy role
A larval host plant. The caterpillars it raises are the primary food source for baby songbirds.
4
Green Ash
Fraxinus pennsylvanica
a native tree for the same canopy role
A larval host plant. The caterpillars it raises are the primary food source for baby songbirds.
5
Tulip Tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
a native tree for the same canopy role
A larval host plant. The caterpillars it raises are the primary food source for baby songbirds.
6
American Plum
Prunus americana
a native tree for the same canopy role
A larval host plant. The caterpillars it raises are the primary food source for baby songbirds.
7
Blue-Beech
Carpinus caroliniana
a native tree for the same canopy role
A larval host plant. The caterpillars it raises are the primary food source for baby songbirds.
8
Cherry Birch
Betula lenta
a native tree for the same canopy role
A larval host plant. The caterpillars it raises are the primary food source for baby songbirds.

Showing the 8 strongest of 41 native trees that fill the same role. Browse the full native library →

See what your yard could bring back

Map the plants you grow, get a free report card of the pollinators and species at risk your garden supports, and find a native-plant nursery near you.

Start your free garden →Try the report card

Browse all native plants →Check your sun & shade →Find a native plant nursery →

More native swaps

Burning Bush Chinese Silvergrass Hosta Daylily Common Lilac Forsythia Japanese Maple Bigleaf Hydrangea Boxwood Russian Sage Lavender Bearded Iris Weigela Garden Phlox Peony