Guides · Tree database · Medium tree
Norway maple: mature size, roots and how far from the house to plant it
Norway maple, Acer platanoides: how big it gets, what its roots do, and the planting distances to keep from a house, patio, septic field, sewer line and power lines, with a checker for your spot.
Norway maple grows 40–50 ft tall and 35–50 ft wide, per the Morton Arboretum. Plant it at least 25 ft from the house, 15 ft from a patio or driveway, 50 ft from a septic field and 20 ft from a sewer line. It grows too tall for under power lines. Checked Nov. 13, 2026.
Is your spot far enough away?
| House | — |
| Patio, driveway or walk | — |
| Septic field | — |
| Sewer line | — |
| Power lines | — |
Measure from the trunk. The rules behind each number are in the table below. Your township, utility or septic permit can set its own setbacks.
Norway maple facts
| Mature height | 40–50 ft |
|---|---|
| Mature width | 35–50 ft |
| Size class | Medium |
| Growth rate | Fast |
| Hardiness zones | 4–7 |
| Light | Full sun (6 hrs direct light daily), Partial sun / shade (4-6 hrs light daily) |
| Soil | Moist, well-drained soil; tolerates alkaline soil, clay soil, dry sites, road salt, wet sites |
| Form | Round |
| Origin | Not native to North America (Morton lists it as non-native) |
| Planting notes | Aggressive, Commonly planted |
From Morton Arboretum. Its zone range includes zone 6, which covers most of central Pennsylvania; check your own with our hardiness zone by ZIP tool.
Norway maple roots
On Iowa State’s surface-root list. Morton reports it invasive on the Arboretum’s grounds and says Norway maples are most susceptible to girdling-root damage.
Iowa State Extension lists it among trees with abundant surface roots, and the University of Florida says to keep trees with aggressive roots 10 to 15 ft from pavement.
How far to plant norway maple from things
| From | Plant at least | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| House or building | 25 ft | Half the mature canopy width (eXtension) |
| Patio, driveway or walk | 15 ft | Aggressive roots: 10 to 15 ft (University of Florida) |
| Septic drain field | 50 ft | At least the root spread, estimated from mature height (Virginia Cooperative Extension), or the canopy width (University of Florida), and no closer than 20 ft for small trees (UMaine) |
| Sewer line or lateral | 20 ft | “Do not plant trees within 20 feet” of a sewer line (PA Water Environment Association) |
| Overhead power lines | 50 ft | Tall-growing trees at least 50 ft from lines (PPL Electric) |
| Retaining wall | 25 ft | At least 5 ft from the wall, with the canopy edge behind the wall (CMHA) |
Distances use the top of the size range, measured from the trunk. The full sources are in our tree planting distance guide.
Other medium trees
30–40 ft tall, 30–40 ft wide. Plant 20 ft from the house.
30–40 ft tall, 20–30 ft wide. Plant 15 ft from the house.
20–30 ft tall, 15–30 ft wide. Plant 15 ft from the house.
20–30 ft tall, 25–35 ft wide. Plant 18 ft from the house.
25–30 ft tall, 15–20 ft wide. Plant 10 ft from the house.
20–30 ft tall, 20–35 ft wide. Plant 18 ft from the house.
How to identify Norway maple
| Leaf type | Opposite, simple leaves with lobes |
|---|---|
| Leaves | Wide leaves with 5 to 7 lobes ending in long, sharp points. Break a leaf stem and it oozes milky white sap, the quickest way to tell it from sugar maple. A dark purple form, Crimson King, is widely planted. |
| Bark | Gray-brown with shallow, narrow interlacing ridges. |
| Fruit | Very wide-spreading pairs of winged seeds 1 1/2 to 2 inches long that hang into winter. |
| Twigs | Stout brown twigs with big rounded green-to-purple buds. |
The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) lists Norway maple as introduced: it is not native to Pennsylvania. Pennsylvania DCNR lists Norway maple as an invasive plant, rank 2 (significant threat).
Look-alikes: Sugar maple, Black maple.
Identification notes from the Virginia Tech Dendrology fact sheet, in our own words; status from the PNHP PA Vascular Plant List. See all 140 trees in our Pennsylvania tree identification guide.
Questions
How big does norway maple get?
Norway maple grows 40–50 ft tall and 35–50 ft wide at maturity, per the Morton Arboretum. Growth rate: fast.
How far from the house should you plant norway maple?
At least 25 ft, half of its 35–50 ft mature width, so the canopy clears the house. Keep it 15 ft from a patio or driveway.
Do norway maple roots damage foundations, patios or pipes?
On Iowa State’s surface-root list. Morton reports it invasive on the Arboretum’s grounds and says Norway maples are most susceptible to girdling-root damage.
What zones does norway maple grow in?
Norway maple is listed for USDA zones 4–7 by the Morton Arboretum. That includes zone 6, which covers most of central Pennsylvania.
Can norway maple go under power lines?
No. At 40–50 ft it outgrows the 25 ft limit for trees under lines; PPL says to plant tall-growing trees at least 50 ft from lines.
Sources: Morton Arboretum (Acer platanoides); planting distances from the sources in our tree planting distance guide: eXtension, Morton Arboretum, Iowa State, University of Florida, Virginia Cooperative Extension, UMaine, PA Water Environment Association, PPL Electric, WV Forestry and CMHA. Checked Nov. 13, 2026.
Muthler Landscaping & Construction · Lock Haven, PA
Building near a tree?
Planning a patio, wall or planting bed near a tree? We build them from Lock Haven to State College and Williamsport. Outside central PA? Groundwork Single Space ($349) is a scaled 2D plan of one area with plants matched to your hardiness zone, designed remotely.
Get a quoteSee landscape designAlso: all 35 trees, tree planting distance guide, Pennsylvania neighbor tree law, mulching trees.
Muthler Landscaping & Construction LLC · 913 Bellefonte Ave, Lock Haven, PA 17745 · (570) 397-9800 · PA HIC #PA212584. Call 811 before you dig.