COMMON MAPLES

These helicopter-like seeds look like sycamore fruits . . . . 

  

but actually the accompanying leaf shows that they are from a Norway Maple (Acer platanoides).  The leaves have tapered whiskery points on each of the lobes . . . 

. . . . whereas Sycamores (Acer pseudoplatanus) also have the 5-pointed palmate leaf but without that long whisker on the end of each lobe.  The edges are also slightly toothed.

All maples have these distinctive helicopter fruits (samaras). 

 Our native Field Maple (Acer campestre) has another easily identified leaf with rounded ends to each lobe.  The leaves resemble slightly larger hawthorn leaves and in autumn they turn a rich butter yellow.